An exercise in Employee Engagement that stimulated the body as well as the mind

The session was focused on the importance of communicating with employees and the four key areas that contribute to making an engaged employee:

• What I Believe
• What I Feel
• What I Experience
• What I Know

With the teams organised, and after a brief introduction by our PRINT Consultant Nicola, a quick Q&A and an outline of the challenge ahead, it was over to the lab assistants to join their tables and get things started.

Let the engagement games begin

In the centre of each table sat a mysterious padlocked box, and by now the intrigue surrounding them was reaching fever pitch. Just what could be inside? All was to be revealed! Once everyone had got to know each other by playing our fast-paced warm up game ‘The Body Builder’ – where with the roll of a dice we quite literally built an engaged employee – it was time to get to the bones of the subject.

Each team, aided by their facilitator, had to complete four unique games, each themed around one of the influencers of employee engagement. The first team to finish every game and unlock the box would win the challenge, as well as a special surprise! But it wasn’t that easy – contestants also had to compete against the clock. Despite the cold, early start, it didn’t take long for people to get involved and for their competitive streaks to come out.

The games tested the contestant’s knowledge of the Employee Engagement landscape, their ability to spot good leadership qualities, and identify words associated with positive employee experiences in the workplace.

Hooray! We have a winner.

After a tense, nerve-wracking final few minutes, the winners emerged to claim the prize and laid their pencils down in triumph. So what was hiding in the boxes? Apart from the sweet taste of victory (literally enhanced by some gummy sweets shaped like brains and hearts – yummier than it sounds), players received a copy of our ‘Anatomy of an Engaged Employee’ IC Field Guide and set of employee engagement conversation cards. The IC Field Guide is full of the latest must-know statistics and data on employee engagement, and the conversation cards contain questions around this topic, perfect for use within internal teams to stimulate debate and give leaders the insight they need to genuinely engage employees. Both are available to download on our resources page.

Although everyone was a winner on the day, the table who finished first – expertly facilitated by our Office Manager Michelle – each received their very own copy of our ‘Tough at the Top’ book, to read at their leisure.

The fun didn’t stop there and once people had had time to reflect, they were split into four groups and asked to move to a zone representing one of the four key elements of engagement mentioned earlier. Each participant was asked to mark how engaged they felt their employees/team members were on a scale of 1-5. Our lab team then facilitated an open conversation around the results, and individual thoughts and opinions were shared with the room.

Finally, it was time to say a big thank you from us to the teams for being our guinea pigs and the first to experience the games, and everyone headed back to work, full of fresh ideas and ready for an engaging day.

Don’t just take our word for it though – here’s what some of the attendees had to say!

Excellent game! Really engaging and useful. Explored all areas of employee engagement while promoting discussion, teamwork and sharing best practice. Thank you!”

Ellie Newton-Syms, BP

Fab event… gets you thinking (and counting pigs!). Really enjoyed it all and I can see it being used in the workplace.”

Alex Mortimer, Sewell Group

If you’ d like find out more about the session and the games played, please get in touch via talktous@handhcomms.co.uk

Meet the author

Michael Hargreaves

I’ve always been a big lover of words. Whether it’s tackling complex client linguistic challenges, writing research-intensive industry articles, or crafting imaginative and engaging communications, words are as much a part of my DNA as sonnets were a part of Shakespeare’s. I’m also a huge grammar nerd, and my obsession with the correct usage of hyphens has earnt me the affectionate nickname around H&H of ‘the hyphenation king’. When I’m not utilising my inner thesaurus, spending time with my wife is what brings me the most joy. She’s also managed to convert me into a cat person, so we now have four – which does a lot for keeping me on my toes!