Is Your Team a Bunch of Dumb Rats?
While preparing for an upcoming program with a group of campus leaders, I asked the Director of Orientation if anything in particular stood out about her group of students. She replied, “I don’t know what it is about this year, or this group, but they just aren’t into it. They seem low energy, low passion, […]
Everyone Plays a Role in Engagement: Finding Community Leaders
“You have to meet Ms. Peaches! Everyone loves her. She takes time to talk with each one of us to really understand the challenges we’re facing. When I talk with her, I can tell she really cares about our success. She goes out of her way to help anyone who needs it.” When I first […]
8 Universal Factors of Employee Engagement
Engagement is a tricky thing to measure because there are many factors that can play into an employee’s overall engagement. Each company will want to measure engagement in its own way, based on the company values and culture. Apple will care about different things than Facebook. It’s important for leaders to understand the key factors […]
Get in the Habit of Giving Praise With Your Team
It was easy to see the smiles exponentially light up around the room as the co-workers gave each other praise for various things. Even the thickest skinned member of the team couldn’t help but smile when a co-worker thanked him for supporting her with an RFP coming due. The team of hard-nosed marketers turned into […]
Houston We Have A Problem…with Employee Engagement
In 2013, Gallup undertook a massive effort to study the current state of employee engagement around the world. After surveying 73,752 employees in 141 countries, Gallup found that 24% of employees are actively disengaged, 63% are not engaged, and 13% are engaged. You will find that when an employee is disengaged with their work environment, […]
Applications of Culture: Lessons From a College Student at the End of the Swift Kick Internship
It’s time. My Swift Kick internship journey has come to an end. This was a 6-month endeavor that involved the challenging and informative processes of how a small company in New York can have such an impact on the culture of so many communities. Here is what I learned, how I used it, and what […]
Gatekeepers of Culture: You Have More Influence Than You Think
Sometimes, I feel a little like a Disney princess. Let me explain. The SKHQ office is located in a building in the financial district of Manhattan, on the 20th floor. Every morning I sweep in, juggling my coffee, my phone, whatever book I am reading, and the rest of my life in my backpack. Good […]
Why Millennials On Your Team Quit Their Jobs and How to Stop It
During a professional development training around employee engagement, a woman came up to me during a break. In a very quiet voice, said that she wanted to share with the group why she loves her job, but felt embarrassed to do so in front of everyone because she thought it was silly. So I asked […]
5 Creative Ways to Make Free Hugs Day Go Viral This Year
We are all here Take your pick Get a hug from Team Swift Kick! The whole point of doing a free hugs day is to get the people around you to ask “What’s going on?” That question helps them become more engaged within your community. Just holding a Free Hugs sign is unique enough that […]
How to Support a Team Member During a Big Life Event
It’s Wednesday morning and Melissa walks into the office. “Sabina, why are you staring at me?” -twitch– unintelligible string of words – “proofread crossword. Travel Tom, ring bearer gift” – twitch– Somehow, some way, she understood me. This is what happens when your wedding is four days away, and your team is the best ever. […]