Setting a New Trend for Workplace Engagement

According the Gallup Report, an alarming 87% of employees worldwide are not engaged at their place of work. Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are enthusiastically involved in and committed to their work and workplace. The truth is, if we want to perform a task well, our attention needs to be centered on whatever is relevant to the task at hand. If you want to have great conversations, or if you want to write well, if you want to speak well, negotiate well, or compete well then you have to be psychologically present. We need to be engaged in what is happening.

Values play a major role in performance and engagement. Your values describe how you want to behave as a human being: How you want to act on an ongoing basis, what you want to stand for in life. For example, suppose your values are to be effective, efficient, and productive; to fully engage in your work; to be open and friendly and caring towards others in the workplace. If these values are truly important to you, you can choose to live by them in any job you are working in, even if it is not your preferred job.

Let’s be honest, at the end of our work day we all feel more fulfilled and confident when we have given our best and our focus to producing great work at we have been hired to do.

Here are 5 tips how to stay engaged and be a peak performer at your job, even if it is not your preferred job.

1). Begin each day by reviewing your values.

I strive to begin each day reflecting on what type of person I want to be each day. For me, one of my core values is my relationship with God. Spending time reading the Bible in the morning helps me align my values with God’s values. Whatever your values are, spend some time connecting with them. Values not only provide us with the inspiration and motivation to do what it takes; they also sustains us on journey to help us find ongoing fulfillment every step of the way as we strive to reach our goals.

2) Organize each day by creating a "to accomplish" list.

About a year ago I began creating list of things I needed to accomplish at work. I then began each day working the highest priorities of the day first so that they are most likely to get done. I put the less important tasks at the end the list. I have noticed that I have consistently gotten the things that matter the most to my company accomplished. I also have felt less stress since I had a plan on how to practically approach each day. However, some people need an hour so to get in a good rhythm before they start on difficult projects. In the end, know yourself and what works for you and what hasn’t been working for you.

3) Be grateful.

Gratitude is powerful motivator. Our brains perform significantly better at positive compared to at negative. Our brain tends to focuses on the negative. If we can raise our sense of positivity in the present then we will experience the happiness advantage. By making our brains scan our lives for the good things in life, we train our brain to become more skilled at noticing and focusing on possibilities for personal and professional growth and seizing opportunities to act on them. Although you may not be a preferred job, being grateful that you have your job will help you perform better. So whenever you feel yourself getting overwhelmingly negative take a moment and list three things you are grateful for.

4. Eliminate distractions.

Even though I have my own office, I don’t typically text or make personal phone calls except during times I have scheduled a break. I do this so I can stay mentally engaged. As long as your work culture permits, it is helpful to take several short breaks during the day. Taking a break can rejuvenate and prepare you for your upcoming tasks. Use breaks to handle personal business. Oddly, breaks can increase, rather than hinder your workplace efficiency. First, breaks offer you much-needed rest. Without this rest, you may become fatigued, working more slowly or with less proficiency. Second, breaks give you a chance to deal with your distractions (phone calls, text messages, Facebook, etc). Use your breaks to do everything that might otherwise take you away from your work.

5) Use any slow periods/seasons to learn.

Depending your place of work, there may be times or days that you have finished your work responsibilities for the day early or business is slow. Use this time to learn and sharpen skills. If applicable, look for webinars, cross-train, and/or job shadow a coworker to learn their job. Often there are transferable skills at your current job that you can help prepare you for a future opportunity.

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