The key to retaining employees and creating a more unified team may be as simple as involving employees in the day-to-day running of the organization. Increased employee involvement can promote a sense of ownership among employees, and signal to them that company management values their opinions and contributions. The company also benefits, by bringing in fresh ideas and perspectives, and by increasing the number of people actively contributing to the growth and development of the organization.

Employee involvement activities may include:

1. Organizing discussion groups or question and answer sessions
2. Creating employee involvement committees to foster increased involvement
3. Granting employees more independence, so they can play a more active role in the company

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Encourage employee involvement in decision making

One of the most effective ways to facilitate total employee involvement is to train staff in decision making, and then allow them to make as many decisions on their own as possible. They'll feel that you trust your judgment, and by allowing them to make decisions independently, without the assistance of their superiors, you'll provide company leadership with more time to devote to larger issues.

I recommend: Your employees can learn strategic thinking and decision making from The Thinking Coach. At Linkage, they can participate in a two-day training program focusing on creativity and experimentation in decision making.

Use team-building activities to foster involvement in the workplace

Employees are more likely to contribute if they feel comfortable expressing their ideas in front of peers and superiors. And, workplace involvement has a greater impact if includes the entire team. Sponsoring team-building activities can help create a closer bond between your staff, and teach them how to work together as a group. They may then be more motivated to play a more active role in the organization. Seek out activities where everyone must participate and no one can simply be a spectator; this will prepare them for being involved when they return to the office.

I recommend: The Team Building Portal's free games section features games designed for everything from encouraging communication to helping employees work together for the good of the group. Wilderdom's free games section includes in-depth descriptions of popular team building games and exercises.

Learn how other companies encourage total employee involvement

Workplace involvement is an emerging trend in the business world, and because it's relatively new, you may want to seek advice from companies who have already successfully implemented employee involvement programs. You can learn from both their triumphs and setbacks, so the process will go smoothly at your organization.

I recommend: Learn how to engage and empower employees at the employee empowerment community at HR.com. At Melcrum, download a free executive summary of its Employee Engagement report, with case study extracts and tips for building an engaged workforce.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your company is new to employee involvement, take it slow at first. Rather than expecting employees to immediately take on more responsibilities and voice their opinions, help them ease into it. Make small changes in the way the company operates, and create an employee involvement team that can discuss what level of workplace involvement is appropriate, and how it should be introduced.