But becoming courageous requires people to step out of their comfort zone—and it requires courage-building, an organizational development practice that is based on five basic principles:

• Courage is a skill that can be learned.
• Everyone has the capacity to be courageous.
• Courageous people are more engaged than, and outperform, those who are not.
• Specific approaches and techniques can be used to build people's courage.
• Courageous leadership benefits both the individual and the organization.  

The Three Buckets of Courage
Let’s face it. Courage is a learnable skill. But if it were easy to do, more people would do it. Being courageous is hard work and it takes deliberate effort. Figure 3 offers a look at the three “buckets” of courage and the characteristics, requirements, and risks associated with each type.

Figure 3. The Three Buckets of Courage

Tips for Improving the Three Buckets of Courage:

TRY Courage

• Write down the desired results
• Take a symbolic risk to capitalize on confidence
• Minimize possible risks

TRUST Courage

• Determine the criteria required to gain trust
• Identify the reasons to trust—or not trust—other people
• List the consequences of not trusting

TELL Courage

• Write down what needs to be said—and how it should be said
• Identify the people who might disagree
• Practice delivering the message to others who can offer constructive feedback

There’s no doubt that courageous leaders can transform an organization. The key is to add courage-building to your training repertoire.

Source: Courageous Leadership

The Great Place to Work Model

Credibility: “I believe in my leaders.”
The first major building block of a trusting relationship is credibility. It’s a two-way street, but it’s the leader who initiates the relationship. Leaders gain credibility by setting direction, supporting their employees, and pushing the organization to attain its goals while remaining both approachable and honest. This requires leaders to openly share information, exercise their expertise, and maintain their integrity.

Respect: “I am a valued member of this organization.”
Most organizations understand that a respectful work environment is a necessity. But respect isn’t about getting one’s way all of the time. It’s about having one’s ideas and needs affirmed. Leaders set the tone for how employees and their contributions are viewed. Great workplaces exhibit a sincere and genuine interest in their individuals as people, not just as employees. The challenge for leaders is to break down obstacles and leverage opportunities for fostering a respectful environment.

Fairness: “Everyone plays by the same rules.”
The third building block of trust, fairness is the employees’ sense that a level playing field exists within the organization. When people experience fairness, they feel as though they are being treated in an equitable way. As simple as that may sound, oftentimes fairness is difficult to achieve. That’s because the perception of fairness is dependent upon the employees’ faith in their leaders’ ability to make egalitarian decisions.

Pride: “I contribute to something really meaningful.”
Employees of great workplaces get excited about what they do. Their days go by quickly and they can’t wait to return the next day. That’s because they believe that what they do matters to the success of the organization. And when employees are proud of their accomplishments, they’re more engaged and more productive. Unlike the other dimensions of a great workplace, when it comes to pride, leaders play less of a direct role and more of a supportive role in employees’ experience.

Camaraderie: “The people here are great!”
In great workplaces, people have relationships with other employees. They see themselves as one team. They have fun and they want to celebrate both personal and company milestones. Leaders cannot force or control camaraderie, but they can influence it in several ways, from onboarding new employees to planning celebrations among work groups and encouraging employees to collaborate with others outside of their immediate team.

Learning and applying the Great Place to Work model is a great starting place on the road to building a great organizational culture. As a trainer, the key is to take measured and deliberate actions to create sustainable practices that are both relevant and unique to your organization.

Source: The Great Workplace

Q: Why should organizations pay attention to employee engagement?

A: Retaining key talent is one of today’s most critical issues for organizations both big and small. Employee retention involves engaging employees and building an environment that encourages them to give the extra effort. Engagement breeds productivity, and it directly affects customer service. Engaged employees are more productive, deliver better service, have fewer absences, and act as models who promote a positive public image for the organization.

Q: How do you know if your employees are engaged?

A: There’s no mistaking an engaged employee. They’re easy to spot. They’re well connected to their managers, they understand their roles within the organization, and they know that they add value to the business. Engaged employees act as collaborators who are willing to pitch in when needed and go the extra mile. They communicate well with others and they seek out opportunities for career development.

Q: What are the consequences for organizations if employees are not engaged?

A: There are numerous consequences for organizations, including reduced profits, lower productivity, increased turnover, poor customer service, low morale, EEO complaints, lawsuits, and more.

Q: What’s the best way to build employee engagement?

A: Start with awareness. Be aware of the key drivers of employee engagement. Over the last ten years, many landmark studies have surveyed more than 400,000 employees and identified the factors that are linked to employee engagement.

Q: Do organizations need to include employee engagement in their training initiatives, and what’s the best starting point?

A: Yes, absolutely. It’s most critical that managers and supervisors understand that the number one factor contributing to employee engagement is the connection between the employee and the supervisor. It’s an undeniable link, and research proves this relationship. That’s why it’s so important to center training efforts on building the all-important positive manager/supervisor connection.

Managers and supervisors need to communicate constantly with employees in ways that help to build and strengthen the relationship. The first step is to generate actions and conversations that support and build employee engagement.

Q: How does the Engage Card System work?

A: The Engage Card System gives managers and supervisors a step-by-step, research-based framework that encourages the conversations that lead to employee engagement. Using an open-ended framework, supervisors progress through a series of five different levels, each with a different focus:

Level One: Foundation
The employee is encouraged to discuss perceptions regarding the organization and its mission, resources, and culture.

Level Two: Environment
The employee is asked to share what is important to him or her in the work environment.

Level Three: Relationships
The employee discusses how best to make connections and form relationships with the manager and others.

Level Four: Strengths
The employee considers and discusses his/her unique workplace strengths.

Level Five: Reflection
Both leader and employee reflect on the findings of the conversation and how best to incorporate and use the information moving forward.

Q: What are the applications for the Engage Card System, and who is its intended audience?

A: The Engage Card System can be used for a number of applications, including hiring, new employee orientation, mentoring, corporate re-organizations, new employee roles, and supervisory development.

Q: What will the participants learn and take away from the Engage Card System experience?

A: The most important take-away from the Engage Card System is an immediate stronger connection with the leader. The conversations focus employees and clarify roles, value to the organization, personal values, strengths, and more. All of this helps to forge the connection between supervisor and employee that leads to a strong, healthy relationship.

Q: Do you have a specific experience using the Engage Card System that you can share?

A: I sure do. Once I was working with a manager who was having great difficulty connecting with an employee. She said that there was constant conflict and that they just didn’t seem to speak the same language. The employee was on the verge of quitting and the supervisor had labeled her as a performance problem.

The open-ended framework of the Engage Card System enabled them to begin a dialogue. Immediately, they began to share information about the employee’s role. The level of conversation became deeper with each phase. The employee could see that the supervisor was giving her undivided attention, and the manager was able to gain new insights into how the employee was feeling. It was the conversation the cards generated that enabled them to turn their relationship in a new direction. Misunderstandings and wrong assumptions disappeared, and each party was able to make an immediate commitment to improving the relationship.

Learn more about employee engagement
Trainer Education Webinar Series—Free!
Employee Engagement as a Competitive Strategy with Sharon Gazda
September 14, 2011, 2:00-3:00pm EDT - Register today!

About the Author

The founder and president of Edizen, a certified woman-owned consulting firm, Sharon Gazda is an accomplished professional with more than 20 years of experience in executive coaching, leadership training, human resources, and strategic planning. Her clients include organizations in the public and private sectors, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, AT&T, and Turner Broadcasting. Sharon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in education. She is a graduate of the Coaching Training Institute (CTI) and has earned the designation of Professional Coach Certification (PCC) by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). In addition, she serves as a certified mediator and an adjunct professor at Elms College.