Engagement Lessons from the River

From Gallup's research, we know this:  When people are engaged in their work, it is a win/win for them and their organizations:  They are more happy and confident and have a higher quality of life, and their organizations benefit in terms of productivity and profitability. 

Engagement matters.

Let me share with you four ideas about engagement that are framed in the context of white water rafting. Applicable to all organizations, these four ideas are directed to leaders and managers: (1) People need to know where the boat is going; (2)  People need to be in the right roles; (3) People need clearly defined expectations; and (4) People need encouragement and celebration.

Imagine a swift-running river.  In the middle of the river is a powerful current, which flows around and over boulders that are lodged in the river bed. On the downriver side of the largest boulders, water swirls in a circular pattern, forming eddies. Occasionally, beyond the banks of the river, are isolated pools that were formed when the river flushed out of its normal boundaries. No current circulates through these pools, which are becoming stagnant. 

Now, let's imagine people who are traveling in rafts down the river, working as groups to navigate the white water. Their destination is clear:  they are headed downriver, and they must work as a team to navigate without capsizing. 

1.  People need to know where the boat is going.  

The current in a river with white water moves briskly downstream, taking what is in it with it. The river is going someplace specific. In all types of organizations, such clarity of direction often is missing. Instead, many organizations find themselves in a veritable swamp, where the water offers no appreciable momentum and trees obscure the view. Leaders (those people who have followers) will meet followers' needs of knowing where they're going: What is the vision that propels us to the future? What are we trying to accomplish? Where are we headed? Leaders must have answers to these questions, and they must communicate to the souls on board the vision of where the boat is going.

2.  People need to be in the right roles.  

The captain of a raft assesses who he or she has on board to configure them on the raft and optimize their performance. Roles on a raft are based on strengths. Similarly, managers can and need to align talent to roles so that people are having the chance to do what they do best. Gallup's research has yielded an impressive statistic:  When people have a chance to do what they do best every day, they are six times more likely to be engaged. And, remember, people's engagement drives their performance and productivity, as well as their organization's profit or accomplishment of mission. In order to align talent to roles, managers need to know what people do best and then align those people and their talents with the roles where they can give the best they have to give.   

3.  People need clearly defined expectations.

When a raft gets caught in an eddy, it swirls round and round, stuck in a circling current of water but out of the main current of the river.  Eddies can be dangerous; they're a place where rafts and people can get swamped.  Similarly, were a raft to get shunted into an isolated pool outside of the river's flow, forward propulsion is gone, time is lost, and the thrill of the ride is disrupted.  There is no fun in a stagnant pool. On the raft, the captain communicates to the crew clear expectations that help the raft stay in the current, avoiding eddies and going-nowhere pools.  In organizations, the manager must set clear expectations so that forward propulsion toward a goal can be maintained. When managers don't set clear expectations, their team members may be paddling furiously in circles in an eddy, working hard but getting nowhere. Or they may get stuck to the side, languishing in a stagnant pool. No clear destination? No propulsion toward that destination. 

4.  People need encouragement and celebration.

After navigating a particularly challenging rapid, often a captain of a raft will call for a moment of celebration. All on board lift their paddles and clack them together, amid cheers and whoops that echo off the canyon walls. The captain leads the celebration of what the crew has accomplished together. Gallup's research shows that one of the factors that drives engagement is whether or not a person has, within the last seven days, received positive feedback for something they did well.  Managers should affirm and recognize a team member's specific contributions, ideally, at least every seven days and in a way that is comfortable for the team member.

Leaders and managers, if you'd like some tools for building even greater engagement in your teams, one of your options is to work with specialists around the world, Gallup Certified Strengths Coaches, who can share Gallup's research-based approaches with your organization. 

Wishing all those on board a great, thrilling, and successful ride.

For more information on Gallup's approach to Strengths, or to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder™ online, go to https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/