What is Engagement?

Engagement is a key way to manage, improve performance, strengthen employee satisfaction and retention, and foster teamwork and collaboration. It is being used in all sectors of organizational and community life — private, public and not–for–profit — as an effective way to create sustainable change. Building engagement taps the energy, talent and natural productivity of people, in contrast to working out of a sense of obligation or disconnection.

To be engaged means to care about, to feel a part of and be involved. We may, or may not, be engaged in our relationships, our work, or in the communities in which we live. Engagement builds ownership and caring about the success and well–being of the whole. Engagement elicits our genuine desire to improve things, make a difference and use our natural strengths.

Engaging people promotes buy–in and allows people to freely commit to what they care about. Out of this, implementation emerges much more easily.

The way we communicate and lead builds engagement, or dissipates it.

How do you develop engagement?
Engagement develops as we provide the opportunity for wide–spread participation in planning and change initiatives. This is sometimes called inviting “whole systems” into the room. People then create a shared knowledge base, a sense of collective purpose and can self–organize for action.

Engagement to promote change and improved performance uses…

• Strategic questions,
• Dialogue that elicits the wisdom of group members

And invites…

• Acting on what is important.

Engagement is the vehicle. As we learn how to work, hold meetings and lead using practices of engagement, what it is possible for us to collectively create and accomplish together grows. At the same time, participants’ best contributions are unleashed.

Oasis helps you create the results you want
through tapping the power of engagement.