Engagement means sitting down at the table of work, at the table of life, with our families, colleagues, peers and understanding their worlds, their interests, and their stories. Engagement takes investing time and energy and, especially requires courage.
Courage is the first virtue. - Maya Angelou.
Engagement is about having the courage of showing up with integrity: the sense of being whole and complete. In her book Daring Greatly Brené Brown stated: "If we want people to fully show up, to bring their whole selves including their unarmored, whole hearts—so that we can innovate, solve problems, and serve—we have to be vigilant about creating a culture in which people feel safe, seen, heard, and respected.”
To be able to create such a space we, ourselves have to feel seen, heard, safe, respected… Sometimes the bravest and, most important thing we can do is showing up to the question “What’s the thing worth doing even if I fail?”
Obviously, we can relate to others without showing up fully or without trusting them. That’s exactly what compliance looks like. Engagement instead will be the driving force that keeps us moving forward together. It is a major ingredient of the success of any relationship. It shows someone investment in someone else or, in something, from the heart.
Without the involvement of the heart, of courage and integrity we can’t get engagement, we get maybe obedience, or compliance but, not engagement.
Leaders tell me they do not know what initiative or program would increase engagement in their organisations and, their employees tell me instead they do not feel heard nor part of something.
Organisations that try to solve this challenge only by changing structures and processes fail to acknowledge the “being”. They haven't been focusing on working together in relationships, on new ways of being together and relating to each other. We disengage when we feel like the people who are leading us aren’t living up to their promises. When we’re disengaged, we don’t show up, we do not contribute and we stop caring… If instead of thinking about engagement as a measure of compliance, policy, structure, and processes, we’d focus on ensuring everyone at the table feels connected what would change?
If we viewed work as a relationship, how the way we engage with it would change?”
Let’s all practice a new way of being (being human) at the table together to transform how we do things and not the other way around.
The shift to partnership in work is relevant to us all as it unleashes full intelligence and creativity creating workplaces that are nourishing rather than depleting.
It won’t be easy but if we can transform our way of being (both as individuals and together) at the table we can support each other along the way.
Look at your engagement survey, is there any question to engage in a more human dialogue around courage, vulnerability and connection? If we want different answers we must start asking better questions.
Start by creating the foundation we all look for to show up whole and engage in a relationship as human beings at work - not as human doings. It has been my personal experience (and invitation to others) in writing The Whisper to engage in a dialogue with the integrity of my being to liberate that voice that longs to re-create work from the inside out.
If you’re interested to learn more about our knowledge and experience and discuss how we could help through our consultancy, workshops, and talks, drop us a line at fateme@rnewb.com.
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