Employee engagement as based on research is defined as "asking for the employee to go the extra mile. " This is different from all the motivation, commitment, loyalty, and other positive feelings associated with the organizational affiliation of employees.

When it's about asking employees to go the extra mile, what does it really mean? 

The ugly side of this 'engagement' as some critics say, could be just a fad again, is the fact that how much more can we ask employees to go beyond and above their current performance.

Is this something that can only lead to more burnout, frustration, anxiety, and general negative disposition in the workplace?

Engagement linked to clear strategic objectives for the organization is a sound approach. However, going the extra mile when ill-defined, ill-conceived, and inconsistently measured can lead down a path of irreversible damage for the organization.

Don't let your HR tell you what employee engagement is. Everyone in the organization should decide what's it's all about and whether there are clear metrics attached to organizational success objectives that you can leverage to make it purposeful in your own work. 

Half of the battle is won by just showing up.

Showing up for your employees and staff when they need an ally and a champion for workplace effectiveness.

Showing up for community causes that are no longer optional or good-to-have but are essential for collective rejuvenation.

Showing up for suppliers who are hurting in this pandemic and needed measures to ease their financial and logistical difficulties.

Showing up for your customers to say that you care and offer help when it's not being expected.

Showing up for your stakeholders and generate collective voices so that those that are not on the table can be represented.

Showing up despite the fear and uncertainty of the new environment where we live in.

Showing up and owning the co-responsibility of charting the new future in your sector. 

When you show up, the world opens up for you. 

​Own the space and hold the space for others too! 

Disengagement is the best strategy to quell the temptation for overreach and overdoing. 

Founders, especially have the tendencies to unconsciously usurp more control and power beyond their capabilities and their mandates within their organizations. 

The best thing to do with disengagement is to completely pull away, when new leadership is established and a new mandate for them had been set up. The old guards must vacate not just physically but emotionally and ceremoniously so that their influence and their previous ideas of "how things should be done" no longer can sway the organization.

Believing that the organization will exist, will prosper, will evolve in new and exciting ways is something that should be in the mindset of outgoing leaders.

This is tough for those that have cared for the organization for a number of years, invested all their lives nurturing its development, and letting-go seemed to be a case of 'midlife crisis.' 

The question for leaders hanging-on is that: would the organization best served if you continue in your role or when you go? If the answer is, "I don't know."

They haven't been doing their homework thinking about accelerating goals.

​Before you can  reach the next mountain, you have to abandon the pretty hills on the way.

We were out and about yesterday doing our weekly errands, we thought it would be different to start eating out to help local businesses and save myself from cooking.

The local restaurant is a franchise of a large chain and owned by a young entrepreneur couple who moved to Canada 11 years ago. This couple is commendable in their attitude towards the reopen and how much of their effort is building confidence with their customers by showing how they approach the preventive measures. 

Confidence-building is essential in every customer interaction especially in this time. It shows that you are on the ball and are committed to ensuring that they can count on you for safety as part of their experience with your products, services, and programs.

Exuding confidence is like a balm on a very itchy skin. It assuages  and builds further confidence that is required if you want to keep more business coming. The right mindset is always an optimistic one-one that is pragmatically positive. 

Who can tell you need confidence? We all need confidence. We all need to be boosted up one way or another. We all need a word of comfort and acts of solidarity. We all need to know that others care for us and we care for our community.

Small business owners are particularly hit hard with today's recession. They are the unsung heroes of our community. Every lay-off is a difficult decision especially when a staff has no other options on the horizon. A lot of workers do not have the cushion of savings to rely on during temporary setbacks. Last March, 2M people lost their jobs. 

Despite these, they are open and they are serving us with a smile and a confident demeanor that they are ready for better times ahead.

What are you doing to exude confidence and build trust with your customers and stakeholders now? 

This time no one wants to feel isolated especially those who are in business.

Some of your suppliers, partners, and clients are hurting at the moment. 

This is the time to reach out and tell them you care, you know that there are shared experiences, and you are there to help.

I have been doing that in all of my community members. 

Because number one, you are not working or dealing with an organization, you are dealing with people.

People are scared, afraid, and unable to make sense of what is happening.

Provide that support and leverage your mission and resources to have that extra-customer service that they would need at this time.

During crisis time, it is not ethical to be sleazy and capitalizing on someone's pain. 

But you need to be present and make the effort to be relevant with results.


Commiserating is good but working with them towards practical solutions is way better!

Do not believe what you hear from people.

They do what they want to do, despite being presented with the evidence that an opposite or alternative behavior or thinking is better.

They say what they say, but action speaks louder than words.

What institutions/organizations do inside their walls manifest outside in the most flagrant way.

What institutions/organizations project outside their walls reflect what they do inside.

How are they inside/ how they are outside?

Is there a dissonance? an asymmetry? a camouflage? a game of smokes and mirrors? 

Too much hype, no credibility. Too serious, no creativity. Too scared to play, they run around in circles, no clear way forward.

What comes around, goes around. 

It is not because of lack of trying but they trying the wrong kinds of things. 

It is not because they lack persistence; they persist on maintaining those things that should be discarded long time ago.

It is not because they lack the good heart to serve, benevolence is not enough.

People trust on the basis of actions, never on promises or empty commitments.