What Drives Team Member Engagement?

How can you tell if someone is fully engaged?  I’ve asked that question in workshop settings with leaders from around the world.  Would you be surprised that I get virtually the same answers everywhere I go?

People say that someone who is fully engaged: contributes, asks great questions, is energetic, enthusiastic, willing to help others on the team, curious, creative, open to coaching and feedback, etc.  In summary, a fully engaged member of your team is excited to be on the journey. Does this sound like your team members? If not, you need to look in the mirror – leaders establish the context in which people work. The decisions we make directly affects the engagement of our people.
So what can we do as leaders to maintain and enhance someone’s engagement? Here’s an exercise that may help.
Step 1  Think about a time when you were FULLY ENGAGED. It may have been on a sports team, or a debate team, maybe at home, or at school, or at church, or maybe even at work.
Step 2  Ask yourself one question: “What were the factors that contributed to my level of engagement?” I’m confident your answers will include things like:  My role was clear; I was leveraging my talents and strengths; I believed in the vision; I had the tools, resources and skills I needed to succeed; I was receiving feedback along the way; my opinion mattered; etc.
Step 3  Evaluate your current behavior. Are you providing the things that drove your engagement for those you lead? You’ll have to if you want them to stay as excited about their role as they were the first day they joined your team.
What can you do starting today to increase the engagement level of your team?