Engagement begets engagement. The first step is to engage in conversations that go beyond the mundane. Here are some examples:
- Why did you join our organization? Why do you stay? This dialogue gets to the heart of what motivated people to come to work for your organization and what keeps them there. This dialogue provides a great learning opportunity for you as a leader and leads to new insights.
- What do you care about at work and why? Commonly called “the care conversation,” this conversation takes the first conversation to a deeper level. People who participate in these conversations in our workshops are often shocked by how engaged they were in the conversation and how little time it took; usually under five minutes.
- What would work be like if more of what you cared about at work was present in your work and within your work group? This question asks people to envision a preferred future where what is important to them is part of the everyday work experience. It’s surprising how much alignment there is between people when they respond to this question.
- What does a great day at work look like for you? What needs to happen so that we can create more great days at work for everyone? These questions also ask people to envision a different future, and then inspire them to take responsibility for making that future happen.
These conversations can occur between two people or in a group setting. You can discuss these questions one at a time or all at once. Try them. The results will tell you why they are so important.