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A weekly, company-wide recitation of the full financials may sound like an absolute snooze-fest, but Huddles at work can really be an exciting weekly morale boost - if the focus is on people and not numbers. Yes, numbers are important, but the people behind those numbers – and the stories of how they achieved those numbers – are even more important. Here are six ways to make your work huddles more engaging and people-centric without losing the numbers.
1. Compare the numbers to your High Involvement Plan (HIP).
Your employees worked together to put your company’s HIP together, and now they’re comparing their numbers to the strategy they all created. But don’t just present numbers. Start a discussion about how the numbers they’re presenting compare to the goals they previously set.
2. Employees from each department should generate the numbers, not accounting.
Their efforts created those numbers, so they should be the ones to generate them. This also allows the employees to discover and understand exactly where these numbers are coming from and how their daily efforts drive those numbers.
3. They should also report the numbers.
Give your employees a voice by letting them report their own numbers. This allows them to celebrate their successes and mourn their failures with the rest of the company. It’s such a great reminder that you’re all in it together.
4. Don’t just report the past; use the numbers to predict the future.
Start a discussion with your employees on what these numbers mean.What is in the sales funnel? How are the prospects progressing? Are they seeing any trends? Based on past reporting, what projections would they make?
5. Leadership should proactively highlight people creating stories behind the numbers.
Your company’s success didn’t happen magically. There are real, flesh-and-blood people behind everything you do. Show your employees how each one of them plays a role in the company’s success by proactively seeking out stories about how the numbers were achieved. Encourage leaders to share inspirational stories of the heroes that changed the numbers.What did specific employees do to lower costs or increase revenue? This adds an extra layer of ownership and accountability. Your employees will start to realize they really are important to the success of the company.
6. Always keep it high energy.
Even with all of these engagement tactics in place, a meeting is still a meeting. Don’t be like Ferris Bueller’s Economics teacher, droning on in lifeless monotone while your audience glazes over. Be the hype man of your own meeting. Your employees aren’t going to get excited if you aren’t engaged in the process. Ask questions. Give out kudos. Show your passion for making the company a great place for everyone to work and achieve success.
There’s no disputing that the numbers are vital to your company’s success, but it can be challenging to get employees engaged and invested in those numbers. Your employees are the heart and soul of your business, so a lack of engagement can be really detrimental to your company’s financial performance. Following these six principles is a win-win for everyone. Your employees receive tangible evidence of how valuable they are to the company, and their engagement helps the company grow and succeed. You’re all in it together, right?
This blog was published in conjunction with Dr. David Stern's session presented at the 25th Annual Gathering of Games in 2017.
