Why Now Is The Perfect Time to Mobilize Your Employees

What do you think about the state of civility in our world right now? There’s never been a better question to ask your organization. And not for making chit-chat, but for showing others you have heart—and the ability to mobilize the hearts of others forward.

Every leader wants their organization energized and focused on the company’s business imperative. Yet, among the many findings current engagement scores reveal, is the fact that the average workforce is anything but energized.

This is both ironic and unnecessary. It takes one look out the window to understand we’re living in a volatile world that has never seen such high rates of incivility; sadly, people have never been so energized against each other. An important aspect in the data, however, shows that for the first time, workers feel their place of employment is more civil than when they’re not at work. This is the leader’s cue.

“Connecting the work your employees do to a greater cause mobilizes people to take constructive action in ways that deliver benefits far beyond the walls of your company.”

Right now, every executive leader has a choice. You can simply be grateful your employees rely on your company to provide a haven in a world of increasing malice. Or, you can go further. You can leverage the world’s current state and mobilize the hearts and minds of your employees toward your organizational objectives while creating a greater world in the process. Doing so simply requires you ask the right questions.

An executive leader within a global medical device company first tried the following questions with a small set of employees. Because of the results, including people giving him feedback (such as “I’ve never felt as connected to our mission as I do now,” and “I’m all in!”), he began replicating the discussion in other small group settings. You can do the same.

Here are three questions that leverage the energy your employees are experiencing outside of the workplace—and mobilize their hearts and minds forward in productive ways.

1)      What do you think about the state of civility in our world right now? (Tip: Resist the temptation to add your commentary; let those you lead be the heroes.)

2)      As a company, we value people. (Highlight one of your corporate values.) Why is it important to you that in our culture we treat each other with civility?

3)      We all know how our culture impacts our business results. What examples do you have of how our corporate culture impacts the greater world? (Tip: You certainly have an answer to this question. But remember: This isn’t about your energy. This is about mobilizing others.)

As a society our hearts are being tested by the incivility of our times. Connecting the work your employees do to a greater cause mobilizes people to take constructive action in ways that deliver benefits far beyond the walls of your company. There’s never been a more important time to show others you have heart. Doing so will mobilize theirs.