I read this morning that the Greek word for ‘power’ is dunamis. Apparently, we have derived two expressions from this root:
- Dynamite
- Dynamo
The Greek word for engagement is arrabhon or aravonas derived from a Hebrew word erabon, which translates as pledge or guarantee. So we could say, in this context, in order to achieve real employee engagement, we are aiming to secure a pledge for full power in pursuit of the team and organisation’s goals, and to create great customer experiences.
As many of us move into hybrid working, feedback from many of our clients has been that COVID has shown that people can be very dynamic in a home-working environment. This discovery shows us the potential for repurposing all the wasted energy involved in travel (including emissions into the atmosphere). In fact, one client has surveyed 1000’s of employees and discovered that over 90% of them want to keep working at least 2-3 days from home. Another entrepreneur has gone the whole way already, and sold their premises to move to a way of working based on a mix of all home-working backed up by team-days run in exciting venues.
In our client work today, we’re looking helping leaders engage people effectively in this new environment. For many customers, COVID has actually seen measurable increases in employee engagement – away from the main premises! How ironic? Let’s face it, this phenomenon certainly reveals massive potential to us all for redistributing energy and resource to create more value, not to mention immediately and fundamentally reducing our carbon footprints.
Of course, what this means is we must focus in on the leadership and organisational practices that will secure and maintain full people dunamis. In the past year, uniting and critical focus of COVID has created a real focus on human-centred leadership. To get through this, many leaders have stepped up their intentionality to new levels, leading virtually. Organisations have become much more people-conscious in offering flexibility and inclusion, mental health support and genuine care.
In our Business Soul Forum this year, 60 leaders and professionals of influence (the Soul60 – now approaching 70) have helped us develop the agenda we need to focus in on moving forward.
There are FOUR ENGAGEMENTS that need our focus to secure a real pledge from people for their best work in a hybrid setting:
- Body: clarity and competence in the practicalities involved in creating value – what I need to do
- Mind: real understanding of what I’m there to achieve, the outcomes, the plans, tools, processes I need to use
- Heart: how I feel about my work, my team-mates/leader, my emotional intelligence, empathy, passion
- Soul: my ethics, integrity, trust, true self-expression, the deepest of the deepest of my desire to contribute my best
It’s levels 3 and 4 that need our attention now if we’re to work successfully in a hybrid world. When we say we ‘put our heart and soul’ into an activity, it means we give it all our power, energy and commitment. Without these engagements, performance in the other two will be average at best.
With such a focus on meeting our immediate challenges, developing the new ways of working we need to deliver, it’s important we make sure we aim for these four key engagements if we’re to emerge from COVID in perfect health ready to tackle all the challenges that lie ahead.
If you’d like to chat over your challenges and get a copy of our e-Guide that summarises some of the interviews and forums we’ve had with the Soul60 and their conclusions, please get in touch.
Or call me, Nicholas Brice, on +44(0)7778-356954. Happy to have a free, no obligation 30-minute chat about your situation and share our Soul60 e-guide with you which is packed with insights and priorities.
