For my personal “Conversation Primer” for employee engagement please page 16!

2. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Welcome from David Zinger
In the age of engage I believe conversations become one of our key tools to cre-
ate engagement. How do we prime engaging conversations?. Our various authors
offer an eclectic collection of good questions and strong phrases to prime engage-
ment. We only excerpted the key statement or question from each author. Many
of our authors had more to say than we could put in this book so I encourage you
to visit http://employeeengagement.ning.com/forum/topics/primers-for-engaging
to learn more about the context and contribution from each author or to directly
link to go to the each contributor’s personal pages on the network.
Thanks to all the contributing authors from the Employee Engagement Network,
to Craig Althof for editing and suggesting the e-book, and to John Junson for his
stellar design work. The
Employee
Engagement
David Zinger Network
Founder of the Employee Engagement Network
www.davidzinger.com
www.employeeengagement.ning.com
2

3. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Introduction from Craig Althof
Questions Anyone?
Aren’t questions intriguing? That subtle rising inflection in the voice opens a
magical door, prompting others to think. Does that make questions more essential
than the answers they evoke?
Questions may engage others, gently nudging them toward that magical state we
are committed to pursuing. This e-book set out to capture some of those engaging
questions.
A question intended to ask of others may also be engaging introspectively. Why
not ask yourself some of the questions that follow? I tried it, and it works! Be
honest, give the question the consideration it deserves and see where it leads you. The
Employee
Engagement
Here’s an intriguing question….does asking engaging questions of others serve to Network
more fully engage the questioner? Or is that a question for another time?
3

4. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
A question is just a bunch of words followed by a funny-looking punctuation mark,
until it is asked with sincerity. And, as my senior leader reminded me the day before
I set out to finish organizing our e-book’s contributions…if you ask a bear to dance
you’d better be ready to keep dancing until the bear wants to stop.
Are you ready to dance with the bear?
David said that after viewing the contributions for this project through the eyes of an
editor, I would gain a much deeper appreciation for the individual and collective con-
tributions. He was right. I am honored to have been involved with this project.
Thank you!
The
Craig Althof Employee
Engagement
Network
4

5. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
David Marklew What do you think?
Julie Lynch Tell me more.
The
Employee
Engagement
OK team, this is going to be a tough Network
year ahead. To get through it, we
Terrence Seamon need everyone’s ideas. All input is
welcome. What are your thoughts
on ways we can weather this crisis? 5

6. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Doug Shaw
How much do you feel a part of this
community?
Is the work you are doing aligned with your
Marc Michaelson
core values?
The
Employee
Engagement
Imagine it is December 2011 and
Network
we are celebrating our great suc-
Debora McLaughlin cess, we achieved more than we
ever envisioned: what happened
6
that brought us here?

7. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Dr. Scott Simmerman What are some of our Square Wheels?
If you were a well-respected consultant in
Sybil F. Stershic our industry, what advice would you give
this company?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
What have you done in the last
Phil Gerbyshak
month that’s excited you the most?
7

8. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
I want to understand every roadblock in
John Hallonquist
the way of making you successful.
Jeannette Paladino How can I help you achieve your
professional goals?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
How well do you feel you are
adapting to changes taking
Roberta Monville
place within your role, team,
and/or the organization? 8

9. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
If you could make one improvement to the
Les Hudson
way we work, what would it be?
Marjorie Munroe I would like to better understand your
perspective on this.
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
What disincentives to taking ini-
Karl Edwards tiative would a visitor observe in
our company? 9

10. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Kathy Legg How can I help you today?
How can we do unto our employees
Julia Benbow as we would have them do unto our
customers?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
If you were king (or queen) of
Randi Sandlin this company, what would you
do here? 10

11. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
What three things can we do as individ-
Ashim uals and as a team, to ensure we meet
our professional aspirations?
As leaders in this organization what inno-
vative initiatives could we develop together
Naomi Caietti to foster growth of high performing teams
and delivery of competitive services in the
marketplace?
The
Employee
Team, now that we have turned the Engagement
corner and are starting to hire again,
Network
what are your ideas for shaking off
Terrence Seamon the gloom of the past couple years
and getting everyone engaged, en-
11
thused, and energized again?

12. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Is the work that you are doing giving
Kanupriya
you a sense of satisfaction?
John W. Hall What’s the best thing we can do for our
customers today?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
What is it that you and your
Dick Friedman team are doing well that we
should be recognizing you for? 12

13. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
What are you going to do today to help
Roy Saunderson
at least one person thrive?
Suzanne Mitten What can I do to be a beneficial presence
at work?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
What part of the current situation
Laura Huckabee-Jennings do you own, and what can you per-
sonally do to encourage a change? 13

14. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
What do you as a person and in your role
Katharina Schmidt
want to contribute to our collective dream?
What 3 things do you see are in the way of
Skip Weisman
our team performing at higher levels, and
what would you suggest we do about them
that would make the biggest difference?
The
Tell me how we might incorporate
Employee
Engagement
elements from your most fulfilling Network
professional experience you’ve ever
Michelle M. Smith had to enrich your role, add value to
the organization, and help you thrive
personally. 14

15. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
In what ways do you recognize your
Bonnie Mattick
employees for good work?
Craig Althof What’s your “One Thing”?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
Many of us have one “To Do” on
our list which keeps getting de-pri-
Susan Costante
oritized, what is stopping you from
accomplishing that item today? 15

16. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Help me learn more about you. What are
Rosemarie McGuire your thoughts and feelings about your
work, your goals, what’s working, and
what would you like to change?
What are the barriers, hurdles, or obstacles
Jeremiah Soucie that prevent you from being in the present
moment?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
On this blank piece of paper, write
your “contrarian” perspective about
Maggie Chicoine
the issue we’re discussing, starting
with the words “Ya But...” 16

17. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
How could you personally make the
Michelle M. Smith greatest contribution to what needs to
be done in the organization?
How can I help you achieve even
David Marklew
more today?
The
Employee
If each one of us is an enterprise, Engagement
what are the changes that we will
Network
bring to our enterprise for the great-
Sayeda Homam er good of our company: what are
some of the things that you would
17
stop doing right away if you could?

18. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
If you were in charge what’s the first
Anja Schuetz thing you would change, and with
what intention?
What should we stop doing, start
Dorothy Matthew doing and continue to do, to make
sure 2011 is our best year yet?!
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
One of the things that I love about
what we do here is that it’s not just
Glain Roberts-McCabe about putting money on the bottom
line; we’re changing our clients
18
lives.

19. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Would you team with me to change
Ned K. Kaloub paradigms, look to future with a much
wider and brighter outlook and harvest
the goodies of being out of the box?
Do we have an engagement strategy
Carl Bonura that truly supports the company’s
mission, vision, values and goals?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
Tell me about your favorite thing to
do outside of work: what is it, what
Kristin Reed
specifically are you doing, and how
does it make you feel? 19

20. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
This organizations’ mission and initia-
Gordon Schmidt tives are a collaboration. Only together
can we come up with the best way to
build our future. Where do you think we
should be going next?
You and your ideas and input are
Scott H. Span valued in this organization, so
please share.
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
Let’s talk about how we’re going to
Glain Roberts-McCabe
raise the bar for ourselves this year.
20

21. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Ray Baumruk
What really worked for you today and
what was frustrating for you today?
If business success is a reflection on how
Rudolf Peter Lanc we all wish to develop ourselves to be a
success, what would you do to try your best
for all around you as well as yourself?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
If you need to run something by me,
Kevin Burns I’m here for you. You can do this. I
have faith in you. 21

22. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Tell me about a time when time stood still
Bill Scott for you, and what specifically contributed
to that sense for you?
Do you feel that you have any influence
Warrick Glynn over the big decisions that affect your
work?
The
Employee
Engagement
What is the one thing you can do
Network
right now to enhance your own
David Zinger engagement or the engagement of
another person in our organiza-
tion? 22

23. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
What ideas would you suggest we explore
Nels Pedersen about our core values, business processes,
projects or products and services to help
move our team from average to great?
Help me help you to succeed in helping
Scott H. Span
us help our customers succeed.
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
If you were managing you, what
Steve Laswell would you be sure to do, and not
do? 23

24. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
Think about a time when you were the re-
cipient of extraordinary customer service,
Bill Scott
and a time when you believe you delivered
extraordinary service…what words and
actions resulted in these situations being
seared in your memory banks?
We’re already good, we might even be
Joe McCauley
great. So what can we do to get better?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
If you have a few minutes, I’d like
Michael J Hart your thoughts and ideas about an
important matter. 24

25. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
When do you feel appreciated the
Steve Laswell
most, here at work?
What is the most important achievement
Jacob Schneid
you’d like to make here?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
What are the top three ingredients
Lisa Sibley
you need to be fully engaged?
25

26. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
In what ways does your work contribute
Stephen J. Gill
to achieving our strategic goals?
OK, I know you have heard a lot
of patronising claptrap about ‘staff
engagement’, and I know you are
Jon Harvey not exactly convinced by all this
‘hippy’, fuzzy stuff about empow-
erment, listening & goal alignment
etc but let me ask you one question:
if not this stuff then what?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
If you could wave the magic wand,
Julie Lynch what one change would make the
biggest positive difference? 26

27. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
This service thing really brings everyone
Johnson Ikube to the same page; the challenge however is
how to so define or describe it that it takes
on a profound meaning to all, individually
and collectively: what do you think?
Joe McCauley What can I do to make you better?
The
Employee
Engagement
Network
Why Do We Live? What is that
Vijay Kumar Shrotryia
which drives us to work? What is
it that we ultimately aspire to in
life as well as at work? 27

28. Primers for Engaging
Conversations
It is time to stop reading and start talking.
How are you going to prime your
next engaging conversation?
The
Employee
To learn more about employee engagement Engagement
Network
and to jump into conversation visit or join
the Employee Engagement Network.
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