Are you tired of answering your own questions in meetings?

The most likely reason for your problem is a lack of engagement, or the old word, involvement, on the part of your team. But don’t believe for 1 second that you are alone in this situation!

A Gallup poll from 2013 found that only 13 percent of employees are engaged at work. That’s less than two out of every 10 employees at any given company. The survey also found that almost a quarter of employees (24 percent) were “actively disengaged” at work. Not only did those employees lack motivation, they also were unhappy or unproductive in a way that could potentially affect other employees. Basically, negativity breeds negativity, especially in the workplace.

There are a few things you can do to change this situation, that are reasonably simple to implement.

1.    Book a Square Wheels session with me.

That might seem like shameless self-promotion, but the reality is that unless you get some help to first level the playing field, nothing else you do will be effective. This is a session that can be run in as little as an hour, depending on the size of the group we are working with. In it we use a cartoon drawing and / or a Lego model (yes, you read both of those correctly!) to facilitate an interactive discussion that is designed to measure the current level of engagement, identify the primary reasons for any lack of engagement, and involve your team in designing workable solutions to solve their own issues. This is a ridiculously simple, yet highly effective, way to facilitate meaningful conversations, create new ideas, and build a sense of ownership within your team;

2.    Change your culture.

These days, very few of us will dive into a pool if we cannot see what is under the surface. We only take the plunge if, and when, we decide it is safe to do so, and in a lot of teams, group activities and meetings are a bit like diving into a pool. Unless your team feels confident and safe about sharing their thoughts and ideas, they are going to stay on the pool lounger and you are going to continue answering your own questions! After a Square Wheels session, it will be far easier to make your team feel safe, and create the environment to grow participation, and engagement;

3.    Move your meeting focus from “interesting” to “interested”.

For most people, just the idea of a “lecture” style meeting is enough to put them to sleep. But is this because the material is not interesting enough or is it that they feel you are not interested in their point of view? The difference between "interesting" and "interested" is critical for creating participation and involvement. If you want to engage people, concentrate on being more interested and spend less time trying to be interesting, or deliver, interesting content;

4.    Make the meeting, or the problem, “ours”.

Very little creates more of a barrier between a manager and the team than using the word "I." Leaders are often frustrated by the casual and disinterested attitudes of team members toward solving problems and taking action. One reason for this can be the language they regularly use, and the impressions it creates.  People are much more willing to participate and take ownership when the problem is "ours," the challenge is for "us" to overcome, or the question is one that "we" must answer; 

5.    Make it happen, and keep it happening.

Knowing a life jacket will save you from drowning is one thing, but taking action by putting it on and inflating it is what really counts! Imagine meeting with your team to discuss ideas for improving efficiency. Everyone is involved and some great suggestions and insights are tabled. Does that make the session a success? Unfortunately not. Generating solutions from engaged employees is the first (vital) step in the process, but that level of involvement and participation is unlikely to be repeated without action and execution. Getting people involved is the first part. To keep them switched on, you must follow through obviously and quickly. And as your team sees the solutions they proposed and developed being implemented, they are naturally and totally invested in the successful outcomes of those solutions.

If your team is stuck, I can help you get things rolling again. If you are trying to implement change, generate improvement, or grow team engagement, a Square Wheels session will help you to have meaningful planning sessions, brainstorm new ideas, and successfully introduce and implement change. People resist change being done to them, or being forced on them – when people are involved with the change, it is much more likely to be successful. 

So, if you are tired of having to force conversations, and demand participation, leave a comment below, or on the Version 8 Coaching & Training Facebook page, and I’ll make contact to discuss how Square Wheels can help you.