Thomas Jefferson Recognized the Power of Engagement

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, said that “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” Just as the direction of a nation depends on the engagement of its citizens, the direction of a company depends on employee engagement. Ensure you’re fostering trust and engaging employees in their training.
4 Ways to Build and Retain Employee Trust
Now that the economy and job market have improved, companies are shifting their focus from doing more with less to strengthening their workforces, especially their executives and managers, according to ClearRock, Inc., a Boston leadership development, executive coaching, and outplacement firm.
 

Have you noticed that some of your employees have the potential to be effective leaders? Get them the training they need with BLR’s TrainingToday Leadership for Employees Library. Get the details here.

Traditionally, trust levels are highest between employees and their immediate supervisors, and trust is lowest between senior management and nonmanagement workers. “This is because interaction is closest between nonmanagement workers and immediate supervisors, and there is less frequent contact between upper management and nonmanagers,” said Laura Poisson, senior vice president with ClearRock.
“The challenge that organizations now face is maintaining that higher level of trust. The actions they took to form closer relationships during a crisis need to continue and become part of their workplace culture,” added Ellie Eckhoff, vice president with ClearRock.
ClearRock recommends these four ways for organizations to build and maintain trust:

1. Senior-level executives: “Continue communicating openly and frequently with employees, sharing their vision for the organization and how each individual fits into it. Keep workers informed about both good and bad news. Employee engagement improves when workers feel their leaders care about them,” said Poisson.
2. Managers: “Managers can also help to extend better trust between colleagues by fostering teamwork through placing a greater emphasis on rewarding team achievements and contributions, rather than individual performance,” said Eckhoff.
3. Meetings: “Town hall meetings with senior management, including question-and-answer sessions, can contribute toward maintaining trust between workers and leaders. Informal, after-hours get-togethers, where the goal is for people to become better acquainted with each other and work-related talk is kept to a minimum, can help sustain trust between colleagues,” said Poisson.
4. Ask employees: “Trust also improves when workers feel they have input into decisions that affect them. Ask employees for solutions to problems. Also invite them to come up with ways they feel they can keep each other motivated,” said Eckhoff.

Trying to get your employees trained to show leadership? It isn’t easy to fit it in—schedulewise or budgetwise—but now there’s BLR’s Leadership for Employees Library. Train all your people, at their convenience, 24/7, for one standard fee. Get More Information.

5 Tips to Boost Engagement and Training Effectiveness
Unfortunately, trust alone won’t keep your employees engaged during training sessions. Here are five tips to help increase engagement and the effectiveness of training:

1. Capture attention. Think carefully about your opening. You want attendees to know why they should pay attention. Build anticipation for what is to come.
2. Maintain interest. Reinforce your words with visual aids. Watch for cues from listeners, too. For example, adjust your approach accordingly when you notice heightened interest in a particular point, restlessness, or signs of resistance to the concepts you are discussing.
3. Anticipate and encourage questions. The more interactive you make training, the more involved and interested listeners will be.
4. Summarize your main points at the end. Emphasize any recommendations that you have made. Don’t leave any doubts about what you have said. Give them an opportunity to ask any remaining questions. That also will give you an opportunity to clarify your message.
5. End with a call to action. On the basis of what was covered in the training session, what should employees do next? Do they need to apply a new skill? What actions should they take to apply what they learned?