According to experts, one of the biggest challenges facing many government agencies right now is a lack of engagement. And just about every Federal manager is trying to tackle how to turn this around. But first: What’s engagement? Scott Adams recently featured this quandary in an installment of “Dilbert” in which the pointy-haired bosssays to the CEO, “And I’ve improved employee engagement by 19 percent.” 
CEO: “What is employee engagement?” 
Boss: “I’m not entirely sure.” 
CEO: “Then how do you measure it?” 
Boss: “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting a lot of questions.” 

The word cloud graphic above comes from the Cedar Rapids Community School District. Look familiar? It should! Innovate, integrate, and motivate are the component themes of this year’s Executive Forum taking place on May 21. What powerful themes they are—whether you are in the fifth grader or in the 25th year of government service. 

While there are “engagement-related” questions that generate a score on the Employee Viewpoint Survey, a much clearer picture of engagement is gained by simply looking around at the people in the office. What do you see? If you were asked to pick characters from “Winnie-the-Pooh” that best demonstrate the demeanor of the folks around you, which ones would they be? Do you see a lot of Poohs, just happy to be here every day and looking for the good (or the honey!) in all situations? Or, do you see a lot of gloomy Eeyores? Lately, it seems, the Eeyores are winning in terms of numbers (the monthlong government shutdown didn’t help anything). Although we do need good measures, engagement really does have a “you’ll know it when you see it” component. People look excited to be at work. There’s more laughter than shouting. People are motivated to do great things. They make positive suggestions that result in new ways of doing things. People talk to each other, breaking down silos and integrating their efforts with others for the common good.

So, back to the question at hand: How do you change things? I’d start with posting the graphic above somewhere you will see it every day. Make it your goal to practice as many of those components as possible on a daily basis. Listen more than you talk. Empower your people, allowing them to do their jobs without your direct oversight. Share stories—not just of the victories in your past, but also of what you’ve learned from things that did not go so well. Advocate for your staff, making them feel that you absolutely have their backs when faced with a challenge. Encourage creativity, calling on the power of your group to solve a challenge that may be stumping a staff member. Encourage always and push when necessary to make a breakthrough. 

You are a graduate of one of the most outstanding leadership programs in the world. Your Federal Executive Institute (FEI) program completion gave you the skills to do this. Want more? Then I strongly encourage you to join us at the Executive Forum on May 21. You will learn so much from the speakers, but you may learn even more from the other attendees, the vast majority of whom are going through the same experiences you are. Talk to one another, gain new insights, and make new contacts. There are many reasons to network, one being to identify the experts “in the trenches” whom you could call for ideas or advice on something stumping you. 

When you’re there, please introduce yourself to the Board members. Let us know what your challenges are. We want to offer programs for the members that will inform and inspire you. Tell us what topics would be most useful. Who knows? Maybe next year’s Executive Forum will center on something you suggested! 

See you on May 21!