Coaching for Engagement
Get the coaching conversation going about engagement
This job aid is for leaders who want to boost engagement to help themselves and their teams stay connected and committed through times of change and uncertainty. It offers questions to prompt individual reflection and support conversation in peer or team coaching groups.Note*
Engagement
What it is
- Engagement is the emotional or psychological investment an individual makes in their work and organization.
- Highly engaged individuals find their work fulfilling, care about each other and their organization's success, and are willing to go the extra mile.
Why it's important
- In a culture of engagement, people are more productive, client-focused, and aligned with the organization's purpose. They are more willing to innovate and take the initiative. They can be a positive influence on others.
- Disengaged individuals experience an increased rate of burnout and work-related stress. They are more likely to miss work or leave their jobs.
- In times of change, particularly when working virtually, engagement is even more important but also more challenging to sustain.
How it works
- Building blocks that contribute to engagement:
- interesting and challenging work
- support and appreciation
- growth and development opportunities
- trusting and positive relationships with supervisor and colleagues
- sense of belonging
- autonomy
- Reflecting on experiences with coaching questions creates opportunities to learn and develop these building blocks to foster greater engagement.
Questions to use with your peers (Peer coaching)
Use the questions in this section to guide a coaching conversation with peers for self-reflection and leadership development. You can use any of these suggested questions in any order.
Hindsight
- What might have impacted the quality of your engagement recently? (Self-awareness)
- How has your own level of engagement impacted that of your team? (Support)
- How have you demonstrated to your team members that you appreciate them? (Appreciation)
- What have you done recently to build positive relationships with each of your team members? (Relationships)
- What have you done recently to build your team's sense of confidence and competence? (Growth)
Insight
- What sparks your sense of fulfilment at work, particularly in uncertain times? (Challenging work)
- How do you feel and respond when someone at work seems disengaged? (Self-awareness)
- How do you and your team know that you matter in your organization? (Appreciation)
- What do you know about what engages and motivates each team member? (Relationships)
- When teleworking, how often do you talk about engagement challenges with your direct reports? (Development)
Foresight
- What new opportunities would help you build or maintain your own level of engagement? (Growth)
- What changes to your relationships with others could increase engagement? (Relationships)
- How much asking rather than telling are you willing to try? (Autonomy)
- How can you be more curious about the preferences of each team member when it comes to support and appreciation? (Support)
- How do you and your team celebrate what the team contributes to your organization? (Belonging)
Questions to use with your team (Team coaching)
Use the questions in this section to guide a coaching conversation when leading a coaching conversation with team or group members. You can use any of these suggested questions in any order.
Hindsight
- How well have we been supporting each other through recent uncertainty and rapid change? (Support)
- Looking back at your current and previous jobs, what aspects have helped you feel engaged? (Self-awareness)
- What examples illustrate our team's ability to be mindful of each other's engagement needs? (Appreciation)
- How has teleworking had an impact on our team's capacity to maintain engagement? (Autonomy)
- What new skills or behaviours have we learned as a team while working virtually? (Growth)
Insight
- How much fun do you have at work? (Interesting work)
- Why does it matter that we talk about engagement as a team? (Belonging)
- How would you support a team member who is experiencing disengagement? (Trust)
- What issues might currently threaten your ability to get excited about work? (Self-awareness)
- How do we express our appreciation for each other in the team? (Appreciation)
Foresight
- How can we support team members when they take on stretching or challenging assignments? (Challenging work)
- What would be a creative way to increase the quality of our relationships, as we continue to work virtually and beyond? (Relationships)
- How can we strengthen our team's ability to thrive through upcoming changes? (Support)
- What would you like to see more of to help you feel more excited about work? (Interesting work)
- What would you like to ask of senior management that could help boost our level of engagement? (Belonging)
Tip
Everyone is different and perceives the context differently. Focus on each person's engagement needs and try to find what motivates them. Regularly review your own level of engagement. It can influence the quality of engagement in others.
The engagement building blocks are:
- interesting work
- support and appreciation
- growth
- trusting relationships
- belonging
- autonomy
