Page 205 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

176 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

• Make sure that you have a meeting process that allows
for everyone to be heard and doesn’t allow for people
to dominate the discussion. For example, when a
question is posed, everyone at the table must have the
opportunity to be heard. The identified facilitator must
manage those who might dominate the discussion.
• Make sure that you fully understand everyone’s points
by repeating them back for clarity and capturing them
on a flipchart or whiteboard.
• Make sure that you look people in the eye when you are
conversing.
3. Feedback Fridays. Every other Friday have “Breakfast
with the Boss” or “Lunch with Your Leader.” Have team mem-
bers sign up ahead of time, then reserve a conference room
and order food and drinks. The purpose of Feedback Fridays
is for the employees to bring their concerns, thoughts, and
ideas. The supervisor is primarily there to listen, ask ques-
tions, and take notes. The key is to follow up with an e-mail,
phone call, or personal note within twenty-four hours thank-
ing all attendees individually for participating and address-
ing their concerns or offering suggestions as appropriate.
Without follow-up, there will be no participation.
4. One-on-one. Send out an e-mail or announce at a team
meeting that you would like to meet with each employee for
thirty minutes during which time you will ask them to share
their frustrations and concerns. Let them know that all topics
are fair game—it could be a concern about a current process,
job responsibility, direction the company is headed, even
something about your management style or their work area.
You want to know what frustrates them. During the meeting,
listen, ask questions, and repeat back what you’ve heard to
show that you fully understand their concerns from their per-
spective. Do not try to explain why something is a particular