The previous posting explored how and why managers may have no higher Engagement Quotient than than employees. What is wrong with that picture?

Every employee owns the responsibility for being engaged. But it is the manager’s job–as a manager of people–to provide encouragement, resources, opportunities that stimulate the employee’s engagement. But how can a manager who’s not engaged stimulate engagement?

So whose job is it to stimulate management engagement? Likely the manager himself.

Here are 5.5 ways the manager (is that you?) might attend her Engagement Quotient.

1. People: Determine your Attentions Ratio: the ratio between your Attention to People and your Attention to Task. Are you more a manager of people or a manager of work? Do you give more time, energy, enthusiasm to developing your people, or do you give more to seeing that their work gets done? No matter what the ratio, determine how you can shift the ratio: less attention to work itself, more attention to people development. You’ll find yourself engaged in manifesting that shift.

2. Learning: Set a learning objective or goal for every week or every month. Keep the objective simple so you can be sure you’ll achieve it. This tip helps your engagement in two ways. First, you’ll engage in reaching your learning goals. Second, your learning objectives can focus on engagement: how to promote engagement, how to manage "engagementally," how to engage yourself.

3. Network: Commit to some time at least once a month when you network and socialize with other managers. Doesn’t matter whether these are manager from your company and/or in your industry. What matters is that you talk to them about whatever turns you on, whatever engages you, whatever will get/keep you thinking about the how-to of engagement (for you and your employees).

4. Performance Improvement: Pick one specific part of what you do. Set a performance improvement plan for that specific part. Don’t make it too big; make it a doable improvement. Note: this performance improvement does not have to be specifically about engagement. If you set a performance improvement plan that has meaning for you (and why wouldn’t it?), you will become engaged just in carrying out the plan. Ta da.

5. Innovation: What do you do now you can do differently? What processes currently at work could work better, in another way? Where can you innovate, create? If you allow yourself to imagine, design, suggest, create something new and different–and it can be something simple!–you are taking ownership. You will engage in what you own. Remember, engagement is the reason for these tips.

5.5. Take Notes: Carry a notebook. Any time you realize you are engaged, write it in your notebook. Any time you think of some way you might engage yourself, write it in your notebook. Any time you see someone actively engaged in what they are doing, write it in your notebook. Get the idea?

Tags: engagement, Management, manager, performance improvement, Personnel