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Employee Engagement – Beyond Lockdown 

Greater Birmingham Engage for Success network to share + learn + inspire, 30th April 2020

Facilitated by:
Fiona Anderson, Founder and volunteer & Ann Terry, volunteer

On 13th March we realised that our face to face network meeting scheduled for 17th March, was no longer appropriate, and agreed with our host, Hays HR, that the event should go online.

At very short notice my colleague and fellow volunteer, Ann Terry and I upskilled in zoom techniques and security, and offered on line conversations instead. Unlike webinars, the aim is to provide a safe space to have free flowing conversations.

Feedback has been so enthusiastic, so much so that since 17th March, we have been hosting fortnightly conversations. Participants have been invited to:

  • Share employee engagement techniques
  • Learn from each other
  • Be inspired to take techniques back into their workplace

In mid April we recognised the need to Focus Forward, beyond lockdown. Here is a summary of the insights shared during our online conversations to Share + Learn + Inspire on 30th April.

The questions we explored:

What does this mean for employee engagement going forward?

Summary:

Recognising that economic needs and company survival may be prioritised over employee engagement, here is a summary of the key themes and behaviours for us to focus on for each of the Engage for Success enablers:

Strategic Narrative. Leaders:

  • Navigate the new world, provide purpose, clarify direction and priorities.
  • Embrace the behavioural changes needed for open and honest two way conversations to share reality of business performance and seek employee input.
  • Share their feelings, seek to understand and respond to the emotions within their company.
  • Grow business and personal resilience, by tapping into the human connections that have been achieved, involving people in developing solutions to survive and thrive (personal and company)

Engaging Managers:

  • Identify the behaviours that contributed to the speed of transformation and thread these behaviours through new ways of working for self and team.
  • Understand and respond to individual differences, wellbeing and needs.
  • Trust staff to develop and implement solutions.
  • Value outputs not hours at work.
  • Value flexible working patterns.
  • Align systems and processes to embed the new culture needed to survive and thrive.

Employee Voice:

  • Encourage open and frank conversations, so your people can bring their best self to work.
  • Demonstrate active listening, response and action.

Organisation Integrity:

  • Enhance wellbeing, individual and company resilience by encouraging individuals to explore how their own life purpose and values contribute to the company purpose and values going forward.
  • Develop a change in mindset and behaviours to focus on human connection and experience for employees and customers.
  • Expand greater appreciation of differences, to achieve inclusion and equal opportunity.

Our approach is now being offered by other Regional Ambassadors and I am delighted to say that our conversations on 30th April attracted participants from across the UK. We were also joined by a participant from Turkey and one from Kenya.

To join in the conversations, you can find the details here.

Or contact Fiona Anderson fiona.anderson@valuingyou.co.uk, Ann Terry, ann@engagingsolutions.co.uk

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