Manage to Engage

CHAPTER 13Making a Difference: Engage. Enable. Energize.

Just because you fall on your ass, doesn't mean you have to stay there.

—Jack Quaid, The Boys Amazon TV Series

As we reflect on the nine triggers of engagement identified as being critical in our new reality, and to twenty-first century management innovation (the MI-9, for short), it now falls to you to determine which need more attention than others as you move deeper into your own workplace transformation.

Context is important. The priorities for one organization will differ from another, based on the type of business, its ethos, and its current state of performance – financially and culturally, including your existing levels of employee engagement. So, emphasis will need to be adapted accordingly. But the beauty of the MI-9 (our 2 Fs and 7 Cs) is that they can be turned up or toned down as you see fit for your people. You must calibrate – you must experiment until you get it right. No one has a clear plan, but you need a roadmap to navigate through the MI-9, constantly recalibrating as team members change and company and industry conditions change. Your ability to look, listen, and learn, will impact how you influence.

In a world where change was driven by a pandemic, depending on your industry you likely already calibrated your business models and operating models. Some probably had to make great transformation, starting with a clean sheet of paper, rebuilding, reshaping, and changing how you run your business. ...