Category: Coaching

Unlocking Employee Engagement

How do you keep employees engaged? And especially now, in this time of crisis, how do you keep employees focused, while understanding the impact of these unprecedented times on their very lives? It’s not easy. Most people will take any tips they can to realistically move projects along. And knowing how to lead beyond work takes some creative initiative.

Leah M. Joppy & Associates recently hosted a webinar titled 5 Tips to Unlocking Employee Engagement in Crisis – And Beyond. The purpose behind this webinar was to explore ways we all can use to keep employees engaged, active and interested.

Obviously, this subject was a hot one! During the highly interactive webinar we informed each other. Creative ideas were tossed around. Each participant could absorb the information and ask questions. Everyone came away from the webinar with insights into what they could do given their individual situation.

Here are some of the takeaways from the webinar.

  • First, lead by example. We learn from each other. How we react is often an extension of how our leader deals with the situation.
  • Encourage virtual collaboration. For some, this may seem silly, or scary. Technology is often puzzling. But showing how easy and effective it can be puts everyone at ease.
  • Get to know your team on a social level. We’re not robots, rights? Getting to know your team as individuals, with specific needs, helps you appreciate more fully exactly what they’re going through and will help to identify resources needed.
  • Offer honest feedback regularly. Think about what we hear on the news now – don’t we all appreciate honest assessment rather than vague direction?
  • Recognize team members using their Appreciation Language. Everyone wants, and needs, appreciation, but you have to know how THEY want to be appreciated. People are different and they have a preference of method in which they like to be appreciated.
  • Mindfulness. How do you feel about the current crisis? Whether your glass is half full or half empty, it is refillable. Taking care of ourselves today will determine our tomorrow, post-crisis.
  • Practice empathy and flexibility. People have a lot going on – loss of job, homeschooling kids, personal health issues and maybe elderly parents who may live in another state – all of which is only made more complicated by the crisis. They need someone to be able to talk to and understand – to LISTEN. This is a new situation for most of us.
  • Stay connected. There are so many ways nowadays – through phone, messaging, Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, and more. Staying connected keeps us occupied and engaged.

All in all, the webinar left us all energized. See the additional resources we sourced below. And stay tuned for the next one. If you want to make sure you don’t miss it, send me your email so I can include you on the next announcement. 

Additional Resources:

Be safe, be well everyone!

Hit The Reset Button On Life

We’re all struggling to get used to a new normal right now – social distancing, working from home, homeschooling our kids, not to mention dealing with fear and uncertainty. With so many changes in our lives, it’s tempting to stay in our pjs, crawl under the covers and spend the day bingeing shows on Netflix. The world may seem like it’s come to a standstill, but our need to live a productive life has not. So many of us were overcommitted, overworked and quite frankly, overtaxed before all of this started. As challenging as it may be, perhaps now is a good time to hit the “reset” button, step back and really take a look at our lives and routines.

Here are a couple of suggestions to keep in mind in order to keep your productivity – and spirits – uplifted:

Use extra time to start something new. Have you always wanted to start learning a new language? Take up a yoga practice? Or how about that idea for a new business that you keep putting on the backburner? Now is an ideal time to think about what YOU really want and the direction you want your life to take. Right now, you’re told all the things you can’t do. Change your mindset and start thinking about all the things you can start doing.

Be aware of how you’re structuring your day. Take some time and write down a schedule and prioritize your tasks. If you do your best work in the afternoon, tackle the most important items on your to-do list during that time. Try not to work on the couch, but rather from a clutter-free, quiet workspace where you can concentrate. And don’t forget to take breaks. It’s important to take a short break every 30-40 minutes and clear your head. Walk around the house, do some light exercise, anything that gives you a chance to decompress.

Be kind to yourself. Life right now is stressful. There are going to be days when you sleep in or stay up too late watching movies. It’s important to treat yourself with grace and not focus on the stumbles, which are inevitably going to happen during this uncertain period.

If you’ve thought about working with a coach, but have been setting the idea aside for a more convenient time, now is the perfect time to start! At Leah M Joppy and Associates, we’re here to help you find a newfound focus during these challenging times. We can work with you to set a routine and keep it on track, assess your life and career direction and help you take steps to make meaningful change. Call us at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com.