Improving The Level Of Employee Engagement

Nothing is more discouraging to employees than to be asked for their feedback and see no movement toward resolution of their issues. Even the smallest actions taken to address concerns will let your staff know that their input is valued. Feeling valued will boost morale, motivate and encourage future input.
Taking action starts with listening to employee feedback. Then the data needs to be analyzed. Next, a definitive action plan will need to be put in place and finally, change will be implemented. It is important that employee engagement is not viewed as a onetime action. Employee engagement should be a continuous process of measuring, analyzing, defining and implementing.

Dear Safeer,
Thanks for your post. However, please note that it is better to post messages in the same thread rather than creating new threads.
Have a nice day.
Simhan
A retired academic in UK

Unfortunately, most of us have had to suffer through a bad team building event that did little more than getting us away from our desks for a few hours. Designing an effective and enjoyable team building activity or training session will take some time and effort on your part, but will pay off handsomely later.

Remember these top six qualities of outstanding team building before putting your program together:

1. It’s challenging. A great team building exercise will involve a challenging task to get participants focused on creativity and problem-solving.
2. It’s competitive. Adding an element of competition will help get participants excited and will encourage rivalry and cooperation.
3. It’s achievable. Make it tough, but not so tough that they can’t make it to the finish line. This will generate interest and boost the desire to bond with teammates.
4. It’s team-oriented. Create an “us vs. them” mentality by mixing a bit of rivalry into the equation. It can help the team develop an instant sense of camaraderie, even if no one has ever met before.
5. It’s inclusive. Make sure the exercise is something everyone can get involved in and feel included in the group. You don’t want anyone sitting on the sidelines.
6. It’s fun. Your exercise should give employees the chance to loosen up and take a break from the usual stress of their day, at the same time they’re learning something new.

It’s always great to watch a group of coworkers enjoy themselves in a successful team building activity. While they’re having fun, you’re conspicuously teaching them lessons about themselves and their coworkers.

Effective team building exercises can be fun and productive, if you design them right. Think of it like when you get a workout by playing with your kids - they have fun, you have fun and you burn off that burger you had for lunch. It’s a win-win

Team work, effective work teams, and team building are popular topics in today’s organizations. Successful teams and team work fuel the accomplishment of your strategic goals. Effective work teams magnify the accomplishments of individual employees and enable you to better serve customers.
If you're experimenting with ongoing teams, start with a few to determine what team activities your organization can support. Teams require resources, and especially, time. Your teams are most effective when:

• a diverse group of employees is able to participate,
• you limit the number of teams on which any one employee may participate
• the teams establish a regular meeting schedule,
• you require periodic team goal setting,
• minutes or notes are posted from team meetings or projects, and
• teams self-perpetuate by regularly adding newer employees.

There are five work teams that every organization needs. I’ve seen many different approaches to team roles and responsibilities. Different organizations may also group responsibilities differently. As an example, I asked the safety committee to take on employee wellness responsibilities in one organization. The team refused, preferring instead to add environmental responsibilities. With this in mind, these are the five teams I most frequently recommend.
Leadership Team
Often an organization’s senior managers or department heads, the leadership team is the group that must pull together to lead your organization. The leadership team is responsible for the strategic direction of your organization, The leadership team plans, sets goals, provides guidance to, and manages your organization.
Motivation or Employee Morale Team
Known by different names in various organizations, the Employee Morale Team plans and carries out events and activities that build a positive spirit among employees. The team’s responsibilities can include activities such as hosting employee lunches, planning company picnics, fund raising for ill employees, and fund raising for philanthropic causes. The team leads the celebration of company milestones, employee birthdays, and the arrival of new babies. The team sponsors company sports teams. You can have fun with this team as the team’s only limit is the imagination of the team members.
Safety and Environmental Team
The team ensures the safety of employees in the work place. The team takes the lead in safety training, monthly safety talks, and the auditing of housekeeping, safety, and workplace organization. Recycling and environmental policy recommendations and leadership are provided by the team as well.
Employee Wellness Team
The wellness team focuses on health and fitness for employees. Most popular activities include walking clubs, running teams, and periodic testing of health issues such as high blood pressure screening. The wellness team can sponsor whole person wellness activities such as how to make a budget or lunch and learns about investment products – not investment advice.
Culture and Communication Team
The team works to define and create the defined company culture necessary for the success of your organization. The team also fosters two-way communication in your organization to ensure employee input up the chain of command. The team may sponsor the monthly newsletter, a weekly company update, quarterly employee satisfaction surveys, and an employee suggestion process.