Enhancing Engagement

Enhancing Engagement By Anna Weselak

During the past year, many of us felt disconnected. We entered a new virtual world, and Zoom became a part of our everyday lives. Engagement has become a concern.

Engagement is commonly defined as the nature of the relationship between an organization and its workers or members. Engaged people are those who are fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work. They have a positive attitude toward the organization, and take positive action to further the organization’s reputation and interests. An actively disengaged person may do the minimum amount of work or may actively damage the organization’s level of productivity and its reputation.

In the past 10 years, workplace engagement has steadily improved. According to the most recent Gallup Poll, during the early phase of the pandemic engagement spiked to a surprising high of 40%, before declining to 38% just one year later. Currently, over 60% of the workforce is disengaged with 14% of those reporting that they are actively disengaged. (Gallup, Incorporated; release date February 26, 2021).

The NAP Board of Directors have met virtually for the past year and the members are concerned with engagement. To strengthen the ability to work cohesively and efficiently as a team, the members of the Board of Directors recently held a retreat. I was given the opportunity to facilitate a portion of the retreat. The board members completed a survey to learn more about themselves, more about each other, and how to increase productivity in this new virtual environment. The board members became more aware of the similarities and differences among each other. Everyone was able to gain a deeper understanding of why members of the board respond as they do.

Engagement within an organization continues to be of concern to those in leadership positions. Opportunities to enhance communication and relationship building among team members are two important strategies to strengthen engagement.

Anna Weselak is a seminar trainer, consultant and owner of Weselak & Associates in Lombard, IL. She is a member of the Association for Talent Development, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum and Development, the Oak Brook Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Lombard Chamber of Commerce. Weselak is the Northern Illinois University 2009 College of Education Outstanding Alumni, and was recognized as a 2014 Woman of Distinction in DuPage County by the Suburban Life Newspaper.