Team building exercises have now become a superb way to increase staff morale recently. Along with ensuring the labour pool enjoy a fantastic day or 2 of fun and excitement, the advantages to managers and company owners are two-fold. First, a well-run activity will help to activate a powerful ethos of togetherness at work or factory, and 2nd, they give a great insight into which delegates are likely to be natural leaders.

Off-site activities are often a great chance for everyone to let their hair down ; most people are completely different when they are away from the work environment. It is rarely straightforward to see the genuine person underneath the mask, and it surprises some to see that team building exercises frequently see the meek inheriting the spotlight. Those shrinking violets can turn out to be perfect management material of the future.
 
 There is a confusing array of activities available these days – to suit every size of group – as well as each budget. Some teams could benefit from adrenaline-packed out of doors games, while others might prefer something a little more desk-based and cerebral. There are even weekend package deal available, which can mix a mixture of the two.

A driving experience might be the ideal way to offer a tiny competition among your team. The banter that results is not only great fun, it also gets things going among the whole group. There’s nothing quite like enjoying an action-packed few hours at the wheel of an off-road automobile, careering over the rough, muddy hills of a consultant course. Quad bikes are also popular , as are rally cars.

 When talking about team building, Scotland is the ideal location. Wonderful locations take full advantage of the region’s classic landscape, and the indoor facilities provide all you need to keep a group entertained and refreshed. Their experts can advise on which activities would most closely match your staff, and can organise a tailor-made event that may surprise and delight every member.

Make tracks to Scotland for your next team building activity ; it’s the perfect place to supply a amazing time for everybody.     

“Employee Engagement”… is the new Buzz Word(s) of the day. A recent “Google” search reflects over 800,000 potential hits on sites offering wisdom or potential surveys on Employee Engagement especially for Gen X and Gen Y employees.

Before a reflection and sharing data on the new Present Environment, and Future Ramifications, allow me a moment to reflect on the past… Many of us in Senior Leadership positions have suggested that our employees are our greatest asset. In many organizations, it may be a case of words speaking louder than actions.

Leaders of the Past

I think most Leaders would subjectively agree that employees are more likely to produce in an environment where they are generally satisfied and comfortable. But many Leaders often fall short on two major assumptions. First, we have a tendency to define “satisfied” in traditional terms of financial compensation/benefits, and second, we have a tendency to interpret employee perceptions through “our” traditional frames of reference. Maybe it is not your fault, or even to be expected as we are all products of our traditional cultures. But concepts such as “Trust” and “Feeling Valued” by employees are clearly replacing pure money as catalysts for dis-engagement and turnover. Many Leaders just don’t recognize or understand the shift in employee values because it forces us to change the way we perceive our organizational effectiveness.

But perhaps most importantly, historically it has been really difficult to quantify any correlation between workplace environment and financial return. And since we have been trained over the last 75 years to judge success based on ROI, and the efficiency of the “process,” if we cannot measure the return on people engagement, it becomes a good idea, but ultimately, a low priority. Traditional Management Theory, taught most of us, “measure it, or dismiss it…” Thus training budgets are usually the first to be cut, especially training for critical soft skills, Leadership, and I am not even going to discuss senior management’s “old school” perception of training related to Culture.

All of that is changing, and changing fast. The statistical data is overwhelming. Recent research led by Gallop (Q12) and many other quality surveys, including those by ISR, are changing the priority of workplace environment, especially an environment where the employees feel as though they are “Engaged” in the Mission. I believe this can be a tremendous future advantage companies or organizations with the courage and foresight to look inside their organizations for a long term sustainable competitive advantage.

So how do we define this Buzz around Employee Engagement? ISR Global Research Director Patrick Kulesa defines Employee Engagement as: “Committed, Believe in the Values of the Company, Feel Pride in their Employer and Go the Extra Mile – and Business Results.”…

In short, engaged employees feel as though they are truly valued at work. Engaged employees feel as though they directly contribute towards the Mission, and enthusiastically communicate the value of their organization. Recent data reflects the transformation from warm and fuzzy directly to the bottom line. But understanding the radically different set of values of today’s employees is a necessary catalyst for engagement success.

Leaders of the Present

For those Leaders looking for support data: 2005 ISR Study (over 600,000 employees worldwide) revealed that those organizations with High Employee Engagement realized a 5.75% difference in operating margin and a 3.44% difference in net profit margin versus low engagement companies. The Gallop research reflects only 29% of the three million surveyed employees felt engaged, 55% not engaged, and 16% actively not engaged via an interview with Co-Author Curt Coffman, First Break All the Rules. Gallop estimates that this last 16% of actively not engaged employees cost the American Economy over $ 350 Million per year in lost productivity.

There are two critical potential danger signals for Leaders of today. First, of the 55% that are not engaged, they are typically not negative towards the organization in any way, almost a sleeping danger or cultural liability. And secondly, national statistics reflect a direct correlation between the length of time an employee spends with an organization and being more likely to become not engaged. For many of us, we are never as excited as we are in our first week of work. We join our organizations believing we can make a difference in the lives of our customers and co-workers. Then in some most companies, over time we feel less valued, or as though we have less of an active role in contributing to the value related principals that attracted us in the first place and then our engagement declines.

Author Leigh Branham suggests, “According to more than 80% of employees, it’s not that there’s greener grass on the other side of the fence; it’s the preponderance of negative factors in their current workplaces-from poor management practices to toxic workplace cultures-that essentially push them toward the door.” Or in fact Cultures that move employees lower on the engagement scale. As many seemingly successful companies have lifetime employees, we cannot assume that they remain engaged in our “Holy Grail”, Customer Service, or dedication to the Mission, either internally or externally.

Engagement Test

In addition to investing in employee satisfaction surveys (highly recommended considering the national data) to measure employee engagement, I might suggest another test. What if we were to look at the five most significant ideas in the last year, that moved our Teams ahead of the curve in terms of “Improving the Lives of Clients or Co-Workers,” (internally as well as externally)? How many of those five ideas came from within our organizations? How many of those five ideas originated from “engaged” hourly employees striving to make a difference in the Service-Centric or Mission-Driven Culture? Can you identify five?

Future Leaders

The most effective way to engage employees is to involve each of them in the culture. Leaders need to be consistently talking and listening about Service Values and Service Missions to employees offering them an opportunity to share ways in which they contributed towards the Mission, then acknowledge and reward or recognize them. This is what author John Kotter (Leading Change) refers to by continuing to build the coalition, and celebrating short term wins.

But most critically, it is imperative for Leaders to “Walk the Walk.” Actions speak far louder than words when leading by example. I am encouraging Leaders to look in the mirror when it comes to consistency in programs, incentives, and engagement as it  directly contributes to the Service Mission. In my hundreds of interviews with Managers and Employees, I am often drawn to the “inconsistencies” identified by employees that have yet to be recognized by Leadership. If you ask and listen, they will share… These inconsistencies can be a significant cancer to any potential cultural shift to increased employee engagement.

The rules of Leadership are changing rapidly, not simply evolving. The powerful contribution to the bottom line and conduit for growth that is a direct result of Employee Engagement critical for all of us in the future. Engaged employees will create more loyal Customers and Employees, creating more opportunities for growth.

Many of us in Senior Leadership positions have suggested that our employees are our greatest asset. I encourage you to find new ways to engage your employees in the effort to live your “Holy Grail” and put actions way ahead of simple words.

Michael Muetzel

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Muetzel

Author of They’re Not Aloof…Just Generation X, Unlock the Mysteries to Today’s Human Capital Management

Mike Muetzel is a nationally recognized Author, Keynote Speaker and Leadership expert. His work has been featured in the national media including, The Associated Press, Bloomberg Television, Boardroom Magazine, The Manager’s Intelligence Report, The IBM Small Business Advocate, and The Boston Globe to name a few.

He is often referenced as a national expert on the unique characteristics of today’s employees. He has an extensive corporate background including nine years with Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation where he sat on the Executive Committee. His prestigious clients include Fed Ex Freight, Kohler, Hilton Hotels, Motorola, Wyndham, Keebler and The Federal Aviation Administration among others. In addition, he is a former member of the faculty at Clayton State University, School of Business. University. In the words of Best Selling Author Ken Blanchard, “Mike understands what will make companies tick in the future, it’s about maximizing the potential of your people…”    Visit http://www.unlockthemysteries.com