Part One and Two Engagement Document
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PartOneandTwoImprovingEngagement.docx[Type text][Type text][Type text]
COURSE — PART ONE
Improving Engagement
In this part of the course, you will further your understanding of engagement and engagement behaviors by completing a self-assessment.
Instructions:
· Choose a situation in which you were highly engaged. It may be your current job role as a “Senior Trainer” and position or a previous one.
· Contrast this experience with a situation in which you were neutral or actively disengaged.
· Based on the situations you identified, write an ‘X’ to indicate which of the engagement or disengagement indicators align with your experiences. Then, answer the reflection questions.
Complete the grid below
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The Experience of Being Engaged |
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Indicate with an ‘X’ if your experience aligns with each of the following engagement indicators. |
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When you are engaged, you look forward to going to work every day. |
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When you are engaged, you feel energized from doing something that you personally value. |
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When you are engaged, you don’t get discouraged when confronted by obstacles; you want to try harder. |
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When you are engaged, time seems to pass quickly. |
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Reflect on these questions about your experience. |
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Describe that period of engagement with your work. · What did you feel? · How did you behave? · Which of your actions demonstrated your engagement? |
Answer here… |
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How engaged were the people around you? How do you know? |
Describe the behaviors you observed from your colleagues: |
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What factors do you think contributed to your engagement in this instance? Try to identify as many relevant factors as you can. |
Answer here… |
Complete the grid below
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The Experience of Being Disengaged (or Neutral) |
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Indicate with an ‘X’ if your experience aligns with each of the following disengagement indicators. |
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When you are disengaged, you are robotic, withdrawn, apathetic, or detached. |
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When you are disengaged, you show a failure to develop close, constructive relationships at work. |
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When you are disengaged, you show a lack of vigilance for quality; you are satisfied with “good enough.” |
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When you are disengaged, you hide your true identity, perspective, capacity, and creative thoughts. |
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Reflect on these questions about your experience. |
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Describe that period of disengagement with your work. · What did you feel? · How did you behave? · Which of your actions demonstrated your engagement? |
Answer here… |
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How disengaged were the people around you? How do you know? |
Describe the behaviors you observed from your colleagues: |
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What factors do you think contributed to your disengagement in that instance? Try to identify as many relevant factors as you can. |
Answer here… |
Part Two
Conduct a Needs Assessment
In this exercise, you will reflect on the existing workplace factors that may be at the root of suboptimal levels of engagement.
Instructions:
Think about a work situation in which you yourself have been involved and experienced a low level of engagement (or even disengagement). Alternatively, identify a work group about which you have a lot of knowledge and that you have observed to be suffering from suboptimal levels of engagement.
Using the questions below as a guide, reflect on which issues associated with the three different drivers of engagement—psychological meaningfulness, psychological safety, and psychological availability—may represent potential explanations for the suboptimal levels of engagement.
At the bottom of the worksheet, summarize your hypothesis about the two or three factors you believe might be most important to address in an effort to increase engagement.
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I. Briefly describe the work situation you have chosen to examine in this exercise: |
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Answer here… |
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II. Psychological Meaningfulness |
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Questions: |
Describe your observations: |
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How meaningful or rewarding is the work itself? Is there significant variety, challenge, significance, and clarity associated with the tasks that make up the relevant job(s)? |
Answer here… |
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How is the level of fit between employees’ (or your) knowledge, skills, and abilities and the demands of the job? |
Answer here… |
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How strongly do employees (or you) identify with the values and mission associated with the job and with the broader organization? |
Answer here… |
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Do employees (or you) have opportunities to make decisions that impact the way the job is done? What about input into decisions that impact the broader organization? |
Answer here… |
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Do employees (or you) receive the feedback needed to understand how well they are doing on the job and which they can use to continually improve their performance and redirect their energies? |
Answer here… |
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What is the quality of interactions among employees (or between you and your coworkers) like? Do people share information and coordinate well with each other? Do they help each other? Do they engage in meaningful interactions that are personally rewarding? |
Answer here… |
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Do employees (or you) feel appreciated and valued for the work that they do? |
Answer here… |
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III. Psychological Safety |
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Questions: |
Describe your observations: |
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Do employees (or you) feel safe in expressing their views and ideas, or disagreement with the way things are done? |
Answer here… |
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Does it seem certain employees have privileges (e.g., access to resources and opportunities) that others don’t? |
Answer here… |
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Does the manager trust employees (or you), for example to be able to make good decisions or to act in the best interest of the organization? |
Answer here… |
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Do employees (or you) trust the manager? Do they trust management in general? |
Answer here… |
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Do managers’ actions align with their words (i.e., do they do what they say they will do)? |
Answer here… |
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Are some employees (or you) working against negative or erroneous stereotypes? |
Answer here… |
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Is there a norm for people to be open to learning, especially from mistakes and each other? |
Answer here… |
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IV. Psychological Availability |
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Questions: |
Describe your observations: |
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Are employees (or you) under significant levels of stress resulting from long working hours, intense pressures to deliver (results, deadlines), being understaffed, or difficult working conditions? |
Answer here… |
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Are employees (or you) experiencing strain on the job as a result of feeling like they lack the preparation, skills, or confidence to do what is being asked of them? |
Answer here… |
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Are there any other significant sources of frustration or anxiety that may be causing emotional exhaustion among employees? |
Answer here… |
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Are employees being supported to meet their non-work needs? For example, being given flexibility in when/where they do some of their work, or having a manager and coworkers who are sympathetic to the challenges associated with juggling multiple roles? |
Answer here… |
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Do employees have the opportunity to experience meaningful sources of engagement in their non-work lives? |
Answer here… |
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Improving Engagement Cornell University ILR School |
© 2022 Cornell University |
