Developing Employees Requires Engaging Them

aec growth aec leaders aec talent acquisition bd meetings communication skills employee communication employee engagement employee transformation gartner internal communication interpersonal communication leadership development leadership training post-covid workplace productivity talent retention team meetings time management Apr 18, 2024

Almost everyone in A/E/C is on a leadership and succession planning kick.

Employee acquisition and retention in our ongoing labor shortage poses unique challenges.

Interestingly, the challenges all circle back to communication.

YOUR communication.

👉We're often quick to pass the buck to our post-COVID world.

👉Or to Gen Z and their phone addictions.

👉Or to TikTok influencers and goofball memes.

Look, no one is to "blame" for the industry's struggles with interpersonal communication.

It's time to take ownership of our collective responsibility so we can all do better.

Like a drone, business and personal growth requires us to see the big picture.

This framework will get you started:

Exploring: Thousands of years ago, curious cave dwellers went on daily quests to find food. The word "quest" is the root of questions.

Are you asking yourself the right questions to uncover the root of what your team really needs?

Are conversations and meetings nourishing and feeding them?

Or do they feel depleted and unable to prioritize tasks?

Leaders often ask staff low-level questions. They receive insights that aren't revealing or helpful.

🎯How about the questions you ask yourself?

People willing to explore their weaknesses and evolve are true leaders.

A recent survey from Gartner says some 80 percent of employees want their firm to see them as a person.

Still, only 45 percent of workers believe their employers view them this way.

This gap is directly related to low levels of engagement.

Employees need to feel like their contributions are valuable. Or they will head for the door.

How are you communicating value to your staff and other leaders?

Evolving: Want to pat yourself on the back for training and mentoring younger staff? Go ahead, but know that employee transformation isn't about you.

😮Signing a check is easy because others are doing the heavy lifting.

Leadership and communication involve the evolution and revolution of your team--and YOU!

You are together in this work, firm, industry, and human race.

We often commend executives for grooming the next generation of leaders.

It's time to flip the mirror: How are YOU evolving and growing?🎯

Are you asking the right questions so you can help ease their daily struggles?

Too many A/E/C teams feel:

✅They need more prep time for meetings.

✅They feel inept when thrown into last-minute meetings.

✅They feel burnt out and overworked.

✅They want time management skills so they can prioritize tasks efficiently.

Leaders who regularly hear these same complaints are going circular.

Communication gaps often take a back burner to profitability.😮

Revenue may be up, but what's the price you're paying when your leadership and communication skills are flat?