The Engaging Manager's desktopIf you were to examine the workspace of an engaging manager, what would you expect to find on their desk, in their desk, and on their computer? Let’s take a look.

 

On the desk

An engaging manager would have the following on display:

  • Books: Engaging managers will have books available for easy reference.  Perhaps you might find a few of the books on the Agent In Engagement Reading Lists or maybe some of the Top 10 Employee Engagement Books – 2016.
  • Magazines: Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Inc., Wired, etc.
  • Snacks/Candy: These encourage team members and coworkers to drop by the engaging manager’s desk creating an opportunity for informal interaction.
  • Company Goals: These goals need to be top-of-mind and would probably be posted for easy reference.
  • Personal Goals: The engaging manager’s goals may be posted and perhaps they may even post their progress on Marshall Goldsmith’s The Engaging Questions. Making their goals public helps hold engaging managers accountable.

 

In the desk

There are also some items an engaging manager would keep in his/her desk:

  • File of important employee information: Engaging managers love to collect information in order to better connect with their direct reports. They have a file for each employee that contains the employee’s spouse’s name, anniversary, children’s names, pets, interests/hobbies, etc. In addition, there would also be information on the employee overall career goals.
  • Cards: Thank you, Birthday, Anniversary, etc. cards are within a short reach. Engaging managers handwrite notes that are thoughtful and specific.
  • Stickers:  Gold stars or other types of stickers are available to add flair to documents or as temporary badges worn by the receiving employee.
  • Healthy snacks: Engaging managers know to keep smart, healthy snacks include raw and dried fruits, nuts, string cheese, vegetables, protein/energy bars, and etc.1  More information about the importance of nutrition can be could in The Third Way to Better Engagement in the Workplace.
  • Duct tape – Hey, if it’s good enough for MacGuyver… 

 

On the computer

Beyond the desk, engaging managers would be able to access the following on their computer:

  • Calendar: Engaging managers have added important dates such as their employees’ birthdays/anniversaries to their calendars  and have scheduled reminders to give themselves ample time to prepare for such events.
  • Electronic Stickers: Add visual flair to your emails, texts, or social media posts.  https://giphy.com/stickers
  • A file of GIFs: Add an animated visual to your emails or social media posts. https://giphy.com/
  • A Google alert for “employee engagement”: Engaging managers want to stay up-to-date on the latest information about employee engagement.
  • Blogs following: There are many potential blogs one could follow.  Here are just a few possibilities:

Bonusly

Culture Amp Insights and Culture First

Globoforce

Greenhouse

LinkedIn Talent Blog

Maritz Motivation

Recognize This!

TinyPulse

WeSpire

  • Twitter Handles following: There are thousands of people, organizations, and companies to follow.  While some will be based on personal interests, there are many that focus on helping managers become more effective. Some examples would include:

Allen Communication (@AllenComm)

Josh Bersin (@Josh_Bersin)

Lolly Daskal (@LollyDaskal)

Gallup (@Gallup)

Marshall Goldsmith (@CoachGoldsmith)

Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz)

Derek Irvine (@DerekIrvine)

Kevin Kruse (@Kruse)

William Powell (@_WilliamPowell)

Liz Ryan (@HumanWorkplace)

TinyPulse (@TinyPulse)

Rodd Wagner (@Rodd_Wagner)

  • Communities joined:

Employee Engagement Network

ATD (national and local chapters)

PeopleGeeks

 

Extra Gear

Comfortable shoes: The importance of exercise was discussed in The Fourth Way to Better Engagement in the Workplace. Engaging managers can’t sit still for long.  They understand the need to limit their sitting times and move.  Walking meetings are a popular option.

 

 

You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their desk. An engaging manager’s desk gives a clear indication that they are focused on engaging their direct reports.

 

How does your workspace compare to the engaging manager’s workspace? What items did we overlook?

 

 

1 Shour, Emil. “42 Tasty and Healthy Office Snacks You’ll Love.” SnackNation. SnackNation, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 16 June 2016.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: The links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only reference products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Let’s Engage!

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.

Employee engagement is a critical mission. I hope I can count on your help! Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest intelligence/insights and/or register to make entries in the comments log.

Photo of Gregory F SimpsonYou can follow me @agtinengagement.
Email me at g…@a…t.com.
Connect via LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/GregoryFSimpson.
Learn more about me at gregoryfsimpson.com.

 

P.S.  First contact? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement community. Explore and join fellow employee engagement operatives in targeting a known thief – alias: Disengagement. Together we can bring this thief to justice and make the world a better place for all companies and their employees.

Other recent Agent in Engagement data/reports by Agent Gregory F Simpson: