Stop Managing Your Team on Vibes
The scariest sentence in management is “Sarah seems off lately.” Sarah’s quieter in standups. Sarah’s energy is down. Sarah forgot to send the report on Friday. So the manager pulls Sarah into a 1:1, takes a deep breath, and says some version of, “Hey, wanted to check in. Is everything okay?” Sarah says everything’s fine. […]
Assessing Engagement Part 1: The Competence and Contribution Framework
Every leader dreams of building a high-performing, connected team of 3s, 4s, and 5s, where people show up not just because they have to, but because they want to. It’s like imagining a world where everyone actually reads your weekly newsletter. Wild, I know, but a leader can dream. Figuring out who’s thriving, who’s struggling, […]
Employee Engagement Is Broken (And Pizza Parties Won’t Fix It)
The last person who quit your team probably smiled on the way out. I walked into an accounting firm last year to lead a leadership training, and before I even opened my mouth, the room told me everything I needed to know. One person had their arms crossed so tightly you’d think they were holding […]
Understanding the Engagement Pyramid: Level 5 (How can I help?)
This is the sixth and final post in my series on the Engagement Pyramid, a framework I developed to help leaders see the different levels of engagement on their teams and understand what drives each one. If you missed any of the previous posts, start here with Neutrals. We’ve worked our way up from the […]
Understanding the Engagement Pyramid: Level 2 (What’s in it for me?)
This is the third post in my series on understanding the Engagement Pyramid, a framework I developed to help leaders identify and engage their people based on where they actually are, not where we wish they were. The pyramid breaks engagement into six levels, from the disengaged at the base to the fully invested leaders […]
Employee Engagement Has Nothing to Do With Job Title
When I spoke at Seton Hall University, I witnessed something that perfectly illustrated how titles mean nothing when it comes to engagement and impact. Most people assume a university’s first impression comes from a polished tour guide, a friendly admissions rep, or maybe the president with a firm handshake and practiced smile. At Seton Hall, […]
How Personalized Engagement Plans Turn Teams into Top Performers
The Executive Team That Got It Right Picture this: a workplace where people show up genuinely excited to contribute. Where trust and connection aren’t just cheesy posters in the breakroom, they’re the default setting. Where engagement isn’t driven by generic programs, but by leaders who know their people and treat them like individuals. What would […]
The Great Disconnect: How Technology Is Quietly Killing Workplace Connection
We are the most connected generation in history, yet loneliness rates have doubled since the 1980s. I experienced this new isolated world firsthand during a cross-country trip from NYC to LA. From the moment I left my place in NYC, everything ran like clockwork. It was efficient and smooth, but eerily isolating. When Convenience Replaces […]
The Real Cost of Employee Dis-Engagement
As if Gallup’s reporting that 51% of workers are disengaged and 17% are actively disengaged weren’t already cause for concern, look just beneath the surface and the picture gets worse. This isn’t mild apathy, it’s active disconnection. Employees aren’t just a little off. They’ve mentally packed up and left. Checked out. Tuned out. And when […]
The Engagement Crisis: Stop Trying to “Perk” Your Way Out of a Broken System
I arrived early to set up for an all-hands team meeting, one of those “let’s take a beat and reconnect” sessions the leadership team had asked for. The goal was simple: increase connection, boost engagement, and remind people why their work mattered. I’ve led sessions like this hundreds of times. They’re often energizing. Hopeful. A […]