What are your priorities? How can I help? How are you feeling?

These three simple but profound questions connect employees with their leaders, an ADP engagement specialist said in the Congress Xstream Concourse Session “Unlocking the Secrets to Greater Engagement in Any ADPsession1Team” on Wednesday, June 3.

Amy Leschke-Kahle, Vice President of Performance Acceleration at The Marcus Buckingham Company, an ADP Company, changed the last two words of the title from “Remote Teams” to “Any Team” because “any of you can do it no matter where you sit.”

Her topic is particularly relevant amid a pandemic that has caused millions of employees to work from home.

“Employee engagements are the emotional precursors that are necessary for us individuals to do extraordinary work and have extraordinary outcomes,” she said, “and to do that in these extraordinary times.”

She said team leaders should have one-on-one sessions with each of their employees at least once a week in which they ask the three questions above as a check-in, not a check-up.

“We taught team leaders to tell their employees everything they were doing wrong,” Leschke-Kahle said. “Who wants to hear that? Who wants to do that?”

She revealed eight Engagement Pulse statements to gauge employee connection:

Purpose

  1. I am really enthusiastic about the mission of my company.
  2. At work, I clearly understand what is expected of me.

Excellence

  1. In my team, I am surrounded by people who share my values
  2. I have a chance to use my strengths every day at work

Support

  1. My teammates have my back
  2. I know I will be recognized for excellent work

Future

  1. I have great confidence in my company’s future
  2. In my work I am always challenged to grow

“I am so glad this isn't one of those, “Do you have a best friend at work?” type of presentations!” Jessica Meyer, CPP, wrote in the chat during the presentation. “This is true employee engagement.”

Angela Pellerito, CPP, was able to apply the topic to her own work situation.

“Throughout the presentation, I've been comparing my experience with our new manager,” she wrote. “I can state that he is practicing everything that this presentation provided. I can go back and let him know that he is doing good for our team.”

In her position, Leschke-Kahle collaborates with clients to transform engagement, performance, and leadership development based on the unique culture of each organization. Her talk resonated with Karen Criswell, CPP.

“This was the BEST,” she wrote, “and so fitting in the times that we are living right now.”