President John F. Kennedy was visiting NASA headquarters for the first time, in 1961. While touring the facility, he introduced himself to a janitor who was mopping the floor and asked him what he did at NASA. The janitor replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon!”
What would your team say if you asked them “what do you do?”
We’ve been busy delivering workshops on Maximizing a Multi-Generational Workplace and one important technique is to make a clear link between the young employee’s job and the company’s purpose.
But wait, the story above is from 1961! Oddly enough, many of the techniques that help engage Millennials work for the rest of us too.
Moral of the Story: We all want to know that our work is important and that we matter.
So go ahead and ask your employees what they do, or what would happen if they weren’t there.
If it’s not powerful, help them shoot for the stars. Even if they miss they’ll land on the moon.