Ask and You Shall Receive

If you want to know what people are thinking, just ask.  They’ll be more than happy to tell you.  I’m a big fan of having conversations and asking questions.  You learn a lot just by showing an interest in someone’s hobby, career or point of view. 

When it comes to creating successful programs and engaging employees in general, my second favorite way to learn what’s on people’s minds is quick surveys.  You can do this via platforms like Survey Monkey for instance.   Keep in mind that surveys need to be quick and easy.  Time is precious so keep it to a handful of questions that really get to the heart of what you want to know.  If you make it too long people will either not take it, abandon it half way through or speed through it just to get it done.  You certainly want to avoid any of those scenarios so keep it simple, short and to the point.  

Another great way to obtain fast results is polling. Polls like those you see on Twitter are very popular.  I recently conducted a Twitter poll which asked people to rate the following statement:

“My company’s support of the community where we live and work is important to me”

72% responded “agree”

6% responded “disagree”

22% responded “doesn’t matter much to me”

As you can see, the overwhelming majority of respondents expect their company to be philanthropic, and this poll just reinforces how important it is for businesses to be active in their support of the community.  From an engagement standpoint, employees feel a sense of pride in knowing that their company makes giving back a priority.   Engaged employees are dedicated and willing to go the "extra mile" because they feel emotionally connected to the success of their company.  They are your company's greatest culture and brand ambassadors.  One of the best ways to engage your people and support your community is through volunteerism.

If you’re looking for some ideas to help rally our employees around a good cause visit volunteermatch.org and enter your location for events happening near you.  You can even filter by the type of cause you are passionate about (ex: animals, advocacy and human rights, arts and culture, etc.)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!