How can you personalize your direct reports' engagement plans?

The best way to understand each of your team members engagement, is to have a regular one-on-one meeting to ensure you understand their baseline and can catch challenges they are facing and proactively work through them in a timely manner. Dedicating time weekly or biweekly is well worth it to support your team and leverage their strengths and engagement.

Absolutely right, some ways through which I have been doing this is having chats out of office in relaxed setting say for a meal / coffee or an evening with some fun games and asking questions like what is working great in their lives , what is not working well , what can I ( as a line manager do about it) and what do they need to do themselves to make it a ‘WoW’ this helps to understand and focus on true engagement and effectiveness. Another way is to start discussing their strengths and a plan to further build them .

Engagement levels vary and necessity warrants identifying the current level periodically in order to improve in employee engagement. Conduct a survey and interview as most common and effective means to collate and gain insights in engagement levels assessment.

I personally believe and tested this with my team and suggest this in my coaching session :"Passion Survey": It is the process to understand each individual's interests, passions, and career aspirations. What are they genuinely excited about, both inside and outside of work?- This will identify key contributors and performers.

Most EE surveys are useless for this. They do not have data transparency down to an individual, disabling you to collect data about a single employee without additional effort or survey. This one does. 👇 Heartcount has an option of utilizing 100% of your effort by storing all answers in individual employee records across 8 categories helping you have data for baseline analysis prior to conducting additional research to create engagement plans. This feature has proven to be so popular, that 99% of our user database collects EE data in this manner. My point is, that assessing EE levels should start with checking how employees responded to pulse check surveys in the previous period with data transparency to give you the full picture.

Imagine Sarah, great at planning but lacks assertiveness, and Mark, a creative coder who's bad with deadlines. For Sarah, the focus is "Leadership Development." She'd get a mentor and lead small projects to boost her confidence, get training on assertiveness, and be reviewed quarterly. Mark's plan is "Time Management & Creative Channeling." He adopts Agile techniques to improve punctuality. 'Free-coding' days let him explore and often yield innovative solutions. Regular check-ins keep him aligned with team goals. Both plans are living documents, updated quarterly based on feedback and performance. The engagement plans are personalized, focusing on individual strengths and weaknesses, benefiting both the employee and the organization.

Well,to personalize your direct reports' engagement plans, approach it with a human touch. Get to know each team member on a personal level, understand their strengths, weaknesses, and career goals. Customize your communication and recognition efforts to their preferences. Show genuine interest in their well-being and growth. This personal touch will foster stronger connections and boost engagement.

I recommend using the PERMA model, by Dr Seligman, to take a comprehensive approach to employee wellbeing. According to Dr Seligman, employee engagement is just one element of wellbeing. He highlighted 5 elements of employee wellbeing: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Achievement. Using this model encourages leaders to ask direct questions about what makes people feel good in work, their support networks, their sense of purpose and their accomplishments. In your 1:1's with employees, it can be really effective to blend your use of GROW (Goal Reality, Options, Will) model with the PERMA model of wellbeing to ensure that you are focusing on both goals/tasks as well as taking a comprehensive approach to wellbeing.

Ensuring there is a clear vision for the team, giving clarity about individual roles, and how they contribute to the wider business objectives is a great starting point. Building awareness of each persons strengths and providing opportunities to build on them, can help to build accountability, and trust. Also ensuring that you there is strong culture of feedback and recognition can drive motivation and engagement.

Absolutely, understanding the specific engagement drivers for your direct reports is essential. These drivers can encompass both intrinsic elements like autonomy, mastery, and purpose, as well as extrinsic factors like recognition, rewards, and growth opportunities. Engaging in open dialogues with your team to uncover their individual motivations and expectations will enable you to align your strategies more effectively, ultimately fostering a workplace environment where each member feels valued and empowered.

To enhance your direct reports' engagement, go beyond recognizing strengths and weaknesses. Actively listen to their aspirations, concerns, and values. Tailor engagement actions based on where they might be self-critical or lack awareness, creating a plan that nurtures strengths and supports growth. This personalized approach fosters a work environment where employees not only contribute effectively but also find fulfillment aligning their journey with the organization's goals. By building a deeper connection and actively addressing individual needs, you cultivate a workplace culture that values growth and well-being, creating a symbiotic relationship between the team's success and each member's fulfillment.

In addition to what has been said, one way I found it useful for myself and many of my team members who are thriving and performing at their best is to coach them to put up at least one personal goal in the goals and targets they make at their work. What I meant is that we generally put goals related to our ‘Job Fundamentals’ only what makes you an effective contributor is that if you follow that same rigour and discipline and make a goal related to your self and not to your job. An example could be improving a toxic relationship in life through given more presence of time , improving certain health indicators or adding one or two employability skills to your profile by spending certain number of hours on them.

Make sure your direct reports have a voice and a choice in their engagement actions and that they are aligned with their personal and professional goals 💯

Personalizing engagement plans can unlock a team member's potential. I once mentored a finance recruiter interested in technical hiring. Through individual guidance and personal mentorship, she mastered both areas, demonstrating the power of tailored development.

Certainly, tailoring engagement actions to your direct reports' individual preferences is key. For instance, if an employee's primary engagement driver is career growth, you can work with them to set SMART goals, provide coaching, and create development opportunities. Conversely, if another employee values work-life balance, offering flexible arrangements and acknowledging their achievements might be more effective in boosting their engagement. The key is to ensure that these actions are not only aligned with their unique goals but also provide them with a sense of ownership and agency in their engagement journey.

Building rapport & trust with direct reports to better understand their career aspirations can help. What or how they think they’re performing & engaging, contributes to their longer term career goals, providing a different approach. By combining quantitative & qualitative methods, discussed earlier, leaders can paint a comprehensive picture of engagement outcomes. This holistic approach enables them to identify patterns, trends, & areas for improvement, ultimately fostering a more engaged & motivated workforce. Tracking & evaluating engagement outcomes is not just about improving productivity; it's about creating a positive work environment where everyone feels valued & motivated. It's about nurturing a culture of growth & collaboration.

I agree with a lot of the great contributions to this article that mention coaching as critical to increasing engagement. When it comes to monitoring engagement outcomes, the most important measure is how each person feels about their own engagement. There are some great coaching tools like PERMA which managers can use to have open, meaningful conversations about wellbeing and engagement, to understand how people feel and where change might be needed. Basic data like attendance, punctuality, customer satisfaction...that can be very useful for acknowledging the positives and addressing the issues...but that data and feedback should be accompanied by regular high quality coaching check ins, active listening and meaningful conversations.

I believe that monitoring and measuring engagement outcomes is vital for gauging the effectiveness of personalized engagement strategies. It allows you to assess the impact on various aspects, from productivity and quality to employee retention and innovation. By using both quantitative and qualitative methods and comparing outcomes to baseline levels, you can continuously refine and adapt your approach to ensure that it's driving positive changes in behavior, attitude, and performance among your direct reports.

In this world of quick fixes and instant gratification🤩, sometimes we forget that some things take time to come to fruition 🌴. This is one of those cases. When you have done everything right, don't be alarmed if things don't pan out the way you planned. Give it time, adjust your effort, let people grow in their own pace! 🏆

You can engage the team if you understand them well. Knowing each other, taking interest in their passion helps building trust and better culture.

Surely one to one meetings and connects will definitely help us to understand where they are standing ,the struggles and challenges etc that they are facing . This will definitely help us in fine-tuning the plans and models or engagement strategies for each member. Building the trust and boosting their confidence through assurances can help in the long run. A pat on the shoulder saying ..hey you have done great and keep continuing the good work will definitely bring positivity , trust and bonding between the team members...

It's all about "CCE" CONNECT, COMMUNICATE & ENGAGE. First and very important is to Connect with the employees to understand each other. The Purpose and Values will go hand in hand while we connect and know each other. Once the Connect happens, we start communicating with each other which is the strong pillar of Employee Engagement. Through communication able to understand from them how are they engage, whether they have a good friends at work place whether they have the right tool to perform their job better and providing frequent feedback. During the process one shouldn't forget to recognise them by saying a simple word Thank You. This has got a great impact and what is called Peer to Peer Recognition.

I believe that the process of adjusting and improving engagement plans based on outcomes is essential for maintaining a thriving and motivated team. Recognizing that these plans are dynamic and should evolve to meet changing needs fosters trust and commitment. Moreover, actively involving direct reports in the feedback and improvement process not only tailors the plans to their unique profiles but also demonstrates a genuine commitment to their growth and success within the organization.

Personalizing engagement plans for your direct reports is essential for effective leadership. It demonstrates your commitment to their growth and success. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these plans ensures they remain relevant and aligned with individual needs and aspirations. Encouraging feedback from your team fosters open communication and shows that their input matters. This approach not only builds trust and loyalty but also maximizes team performance by capitalizing on strengths and addressing challenges. Keep these principles in mind to create impactful and tailored engagement plans for your direct reports.

Plans should remain laser focused on achieving their goals. Yes, you should review and evolve if necessary, but if a plan is setting up engagement for success, motivation and support will ensure it happens!

- First thing you should understand is each person gets motivated by different things and each has different needs. - Some need time, some need growth, some need benefits, some need flexibility - Spend time to understand what your team needs and give them ( Easier said than done)

Building a winning team needs genuine engagement and sincerity. I like to use the 5 Cs to achieve this. 1. Connect Set up regular catch-up in the calendar throughout the year with direct reports. 2. Care Be compassionate about their well-beings inside and outside the work. Be their friend to vent emotions and support their mental health. 3. Co-create Co-create a career that is meaningful to each individual and sponsor their development. Check in their progress regularly and give constructive feedback. 4. Collaborate Be part of the team to get things done both as a leader and team member. Share success. 5. Celebrate Celebrate all momerable moments in life and work, making them feel loved, respected and valued.

Pay them to volunteer in their communities: They’re all about creating a culture where employees don’t feel like they’re just a number or replaceable. They’re about letting employees know that their career goals, personal aspirations, health, and wellness are important to their company. One way companies accomplish this is by paying for their employees to volunteer. As a result, workers feel like they’re working for a company that serves a greater purpose than its bottom line.

Feedback and Adaptability - Given the dynamic nature of startups, it is vital to have a feedback mechanism that is not hierarchical but collaborative, encouraging employees to voice their opinions and ideas freely. This not only fosters a culture of mutual respect but also nurtures innovation. Well-being and Resilience - Startups can sometimes be a pressure cooker environment. Engagement plans should thus encompass strategies to foster well-being and resilience, helping employees navigate the complexities with a balanced approach.