Mirror, mirror...

You know that feeling you get when you’re around someone special? They make you feel unique, capable of action, and of value. 

I know you know the feeling. Chances are you’ve been graced by an energy and spirit that has left you feeling like you matter. 

I remember a story my dad recounted when I was young – after an intense day of regulatory negotiations, someone he admired gave him a call. Being grilled by a national regulatory panel isn’t exactly what you’d call fun. My dad was exhausted at that moment and was feeling done for the day. 

While the voice on the other line was over 4,000 miles away, in that 10-minute phone call, my dad got the boost he needed to refresh his mindset –  ultimately helping him get through the next day. 

How could a 10-minute phone call possibly recharge someone like that? 

The fact was the call was placed because of a deep sense of appreciation. Next, the  nature of the conversation wasn’t left to chance or from a place of calculation. It was from the heart. And, it cost nothing to pick up the phone and truly demonstrate meaningful caring. Well, actually, it was a long distance call so there was a nominal cost but you get my point.   

I share this story with you because the science behind employee engagement is easier than we think to nail down. The minute we refer to engagement as work, we’ve lost sight of its impact.

Engagement is not a program or a plan. It’s the product of intentional leadership behaviours such as taking the time to show people you care enough to call them when they need it the most. 

If you’re lucky enough to witness or experience this type of magic I’m talking about with my dad’s example, channel it. Share the observation and learning with others. Inspire hope that such behaviour is contagious, and that meaningful change is possible. In the end, inspiring conversations can start with us.  

I call this piece Mirror, Mirror because at this very moment, I’m thinking about how great leaders can be cloned. I think it starts by asking them to share their secret sauce with others. To show that inspiring a new day for someone is possible. 

Canadian Olympian Zoe Bergermann shared a quote this week: “I would love it if I could be a person who, when people think about a time they encountered me in the past, they smiled at the memory.”

You can’t make this up. For some, like Zoe, this behaviour comes naturally.

But you can also go find this type of mindset and you can encourage it to be shared. 

Whether we know it or not, someone is counting on us to give them that extra push to get through their now. 

The extra encouragement to try again, to see a situation differently, and to act with courage. That for me is what engagement is all about.  

So if you’re thinking about how you can move the needle on employee engagement within your organization, I invite you to consider what Sarah Lewis states when she says, “When we think of change we tend to think change demands something big, new, and different. We overlook the potential inherit in existing patters of interaction.” 

My dad’s experience is over 35 years old and yet, the sentiment is timeless. An intentional and meaningful moment like that 10-minute call isn’t forgotten. He knew he wasn’t alone and quite simply, he wasn’t.

#hopemakestheworldgoround