A simple definition of engagement is: “meaningful connections and memorable moments [with team members, customers, family, etc.] which make me want to come back and recommend you to friends.”
The reason the connections are meaningful and the moments memorable is because the team member engaging the customer is emotionally connected with, inspired by, driven by, and in alignment with, the mission and purpose of the company to provide an emotionally charged experience for the customers making he or she want to come back and repeat the experience and recommend us to their friends.
Engagement is all about feelings. Engagement is about behaving in ways that show you genuinely care about the other person, their wants, needs, desires, goals, and visions, as well as their fears, uncertainties, and doubts. It means:
- Taking the time to say “good morning” before going to your office in the morning
- Writing thank you notes to people for a job well done
- Giving 12-15 compliments each day to people when the occasion calls for it
- Knowing about and discussing personal tragedies and triumphs with team members
- Going to lunch with everyone, not just those with whom you are comfortable.
Successfully creating experiences for team members and customers making them want to experience it again and again has to do with possessing not just IQ, knowledge and understanding, but EI, emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is being aware that emotions drive our behavior choices and can impact people [positively and negatively], and learning how to manage those emotions – both our own and others – especially when under pressure.
Emotional intelligence is a necessary skill for managers and leaders since their emotional stability and maturity has a direct effect on the ways people feel and on the depth of team members’ and customers’ beliefs that the company is a great place to work and a great place to shop and spend money. What makes Team Members feel a company a “Great place to work” is when;
- I feel I have the resources and training to do my job with excellence
- I am working with a team of qualified people whom I trust and respect and who trust and respect me.
- We are working toward the achievement of a common goal, and personal goals which give me pride, satisfaction, and a feeling of personal accomplishment.
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