Measuring and improving employee engagement

How to measure and improve team engagement, the four Cs in practice. So this is what we're going to be talking about today on how to lead the podcast for CEOs, founders, and leaders who want that perfect balance of empathy and authority, but don't want to be a Linda, my bad manager, alter ego.

I'm Kate Waterfall Hill, and today we are wrapping up our four Cs miniseries with a practical guide to measuring and improving what matters most in employee engagement. Over the last four episodes, we've explored the four Cs, clarity, challenge, control, and community. They're the foundation of engagement, performance, and retention.

And when neglected, often the reason someone quietly updates their LinkedIn profile on a Tuesday lunchtime. Now, some of you have asked, this is all very insightful, Kate, but what should I actually do? or in one more slightly pointed comment. Too much time is spent on leadership theory. People should just do what they're told.

I want to tackle this head on because if telling people what to do actually worked long term, then you wouldn't be the one potentially firefighting. You wouldn't be chasing updates, redoing people's work or lying awake at 3:00 AM wondering if Simon's rage slamming his laptop was really about teams being slow.

Sound familiar? Today's episode is all about the how. How to measure each of the four Cs, how to improve them, and how to lead in a way that creates real performance, not just compliance, but first as ever. Let's see how Linda, the bad manager, goes about measuring how well she's done this week.

“How do I know when I've had a good week? Um, well, nobody's left a meeting in tears. Nobody's taken me to a tribunal and nobody's resigned. Yes, that's a good week. It doesn't happen very often. Probably one in four.”

Oh, yes. Linda's version of a good week is whether or not people have left the room crying. And her idea of improving culture is reposting inspirational quotes in comic sands, don't we love her? But I think we can do better. Let's do a quick recap on what the four Cs actually are.

This is my engagement framework drawn from over 30 years of leadership, coaching hundreds of teams and more bad PowerPoint decks than I care to admit. There's clarity, people know what's expected and where they fit. Challenge people feel stretched in ways that help them grow, but not too stretched.

Control, people have autonomy coupled with the right level of support. And finally, community people feel they belong, are valued, and a part of something.

If even one of these is missing, performance and morale dip, get it right. You unlock confidence, accountability, collaboration, and a sense of energy.

The first thing to do to work out whether or not your team are fully engaged is to measure the four Cs.

You don't need a six-month cultural audit. You don't need to sit around whispering about your feelings, What you do need to do is ask some smart questions, and importantly, listen carefully to the answers. So here's a simple method, just a zero to 10 scale, and ask targeted, practical questions in each of the four C areas. Then follow up with one open question.

I am going to give you some suggestions. Now. Please don't feel you have to use all of them. Just pick your favourites. So firstly, with clarity, people just need clarity on these five things, the organization's direction, the team's priorities and common goal, shared purpose, their own role and how it contributes to that, what's expected of them on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis, and how they can grow.

You might like to ask one or more of the following questions, either face to face or in a email or some sort of survey. How clearly do you understand the company's long-term goals? How well do you understand your team's objectives?

How clear are you on your own role and responsibilities? Do you know what your manager expects from you on a day-to-day basis? And do you understand your potential career path here? Then you could follow that up with what one thing would make your role feel clearer.

The next section all about challenge, about that healthy stretch, not pushing people to feel overwhelmed. You are aiming for a steady rhythm of discomfort and development. Here are some suggested questions for you. Do you feel your work stretches you in the right way? Do you have regular opportunities to grow your skills?

Are you developing professionally through your current challenges? And then as a more open question, what challenge would help you grow this quarter?

So more questions on a zero to 10 scale under control. It's really about autonomy because it does matter, but so does structure. Your team needs to feel empowered without feeling abandoned. So you might ask, how much autonomy do you have in your role? Do you have a good balance of freedom and support? Can you influence decisions that affect your work?

And then the overall one might be, what's one area where you'd like more ownership or say.

In the area of community, we're talking about belonging, trust, collaboration. These aren't soft extras. They're the glue that holds your team together. So you might like to ask, do you feel part of a shared purpose at work? Do you have strong connections with your colleagues? Do you feel safe to speak up or challenge something?

Do you feel recognized and valued? And do you feel that you belong here? And then the open question you could answer at the end would be, what would help you feel more connected to the team? So you might have asked some of these questions and got some scores, but what do you do with the answers? First of all, don't try and defend yourself.

Don't justify, just listen. Secondly, look for patterns. If clarity scores are low across the board, it's not just a them problem. Thirdly, pick one or two areas to focus on. You don't have to fix everything. Overnight progress, not perfection.

Now let's talk a bit more about the how. How do you actually improve the four C's once you've measured them? here's a suggested action plan broken down by each C. So clarity, less about the vision board, more about a whiteboard. Most people aren't unclear because they're daft or because they weren't listening.

They're unclear because leaders assume they've already explained it and people have remembered it. So here's what you can do. Run a session where you do some sort of recontacting. Sit down with your team and revisit the purpose of their roles, your team's goals, and how success will be measured. Don't assume, just because you said it last year, that the objectives will still apply.

You need to reapply them and reset them. Secondly, introduce a clarity check in every one-to-one. Ask what feels unclear right now. What are you currently guessing at? You'll be amazed what people admit when it's safe to say, actually, I don't know. When delegating, follow this five part briefing. Make sure you cover the outcome that's needed. Also, why it matters. Thirdly, what's non-negotiable? Then what's flexible? And then when you'll check in, have a discussion about that, and then the bonus question might be, can you play it back to me just to make sure they've understood it?

What's their first, next step? If you want more on delegation, there's a whole episode of how to lead on that. Go and have a look for it in the back catalogue. Then there's challenge, stretch without snapping, growth happens on the edge of comfort, not in burnout.

To make sure people are in the right zone as it were. You might want to use things like what if questions. So, what have you led the next client meeting? What have you created a proposal from scratch? What have you trained the new starter? It's invitational rather than instructional. Then share the load of challenge.

Let them shadow you co-own projects. Take the lead on a piece of something bigger. Stretch doesn't necessarily mean solo, and then praise the effort, not just the outcome. Leading that workshop was a big stretch. I can see how much you've grown since the last one. This kind of recognition builds courage and momentum.

Then we've got control empowerment with a safety net. Autonomy without support feels like abandonment, but support without autonomy feels like micromanagement. Here's how to balance the two. Firstly, use decision boundaries. This is yours to run with. if budgets change or client feedback gets tricky, check in it's clarity with space.

Secondly, introduce check-in rhythms, not checkup surprises. set regular low stakes touch points. It prevents the, I didn't know you'd gone that far off course moment. And then ask for feedback on your control habits. Is there anything you wish you had more say over? Are there things I'm still too involved in?

How can I support you without getting in the way? Then breathe and let go. Then lastly, community. Not just nice, but necessary. People stay where they feel they matter. So you could add a connection ritual to your meetings. A quick win of the week, a peer shout out. Or what's one thing that you're proud of?

Takes 90 seconds but can change everything. Don't wait for HR to run inclusion training. Invite different voices in actively seek quiet contributions. Give credit, and don't be afraid to intervene when behaviour crosses the line. Culture is created in these small moments.

in every conversation share the purpose that everybody's heading towards. So, say things like, we're not just hitting targets. We we're building trust with our clients, protecting jobs and creating something better, because meaning like that really does matter.

What about the things that get in the way? I mean, I know that we all have the best of intentions, but there are obstacles, time, particularly you're busy, but so is your team. And confusion costs more time than clarity. It's easy to make assumptions. They should know this by now. Well, possibly.

But do they, you'll only know if you ask. There might be some fear there as well. You may be worry about what people will say, but I urge you to have courage and ask anyway. And perfectionism. You won't get this right first time, every time, and that's okay. Leading with intention, beats waiting for the perfect solution.

If you only do one thing this month, I really urge you. Pick one of the four C's. Ask your team the measurement questions. And run a 30 minute discussion around the results. Then choose one shift that you can make together. That's it. That's how it starts.

Before we wrap up, I'd like to remind you that the four Cs aren't just theory. They're a map for performance. Ignore them, and you might get surface level compliance, but address them with care and you'll get people who take initiative teams that solve problems without you, less rework, fewer misunderstandings.

And a workplace people want to stay in and grow in.

This isn't just corporate fluff. This is proper strategy. with a dose of humanity thrown in. So, as a quick recap, the four C's are clarity. What we're doing, why, and how do I contribute, challenge, how am I growing and where's the stretch control? What do I own and where do I get support and community?

Who's got my back and do I feel I belong? You can measure them with a few simple questions. You can improve them with intention and small habits. You'll see the results in performance retention, and dare I say, a bit of sanity because leading people isn't just about shouting louder or working longer.

It's about creating the right conditions and letting people fly. That's all for today's episode of How to Lead. If this series has resonated with you, do follow the podcast, leave a review and share it with your fellow leaders. If you want to take this further, my leadership accelerated premium and my one-to-one coaching programs are now open.

You can find more information at www.waterfallhill.co uk. I offer the very opposite of generic leadership training. My programmes are designed for people who want to get better, not just busier, and certainly who don't want to be a Linda. Until next time, keep leading with Clarity, care, and curiosity and maybe just maybe a little bit less Linda.

Thanks for listening.