Engagement

Strong engagement shows you pay attention to the key people, relationships, and situations that matter most. It also reflects that you’re fully committed to personal growth and development. It’s the make-or-break factor between achieving limited growth and substantial growth. Your report shows the areas of engagement which need improvement. Work through the following next to support your growth and development.

Let Others Know How You Feel

Your feelings shouldn’t stay bottled up. Be open with others about how you feel about them. This creates transparency between you and builds an open environment to communicate. The key is to be honest and open.

Next Steps
• Observe and take note of the way others express their feelings.
• Acknowledge that sharing how you feel about others can be awkward for you. Say something like “I know I don’t say this much…” or “I’m working on expressing how I feel, so…”
• Identify situations where you feel uncomfortable sharing how you feel about someone and plan ahead of time how to bring it up.
• Ask the person if they’re open to hearing your feelings about them. Just because you’re ready to share doesn’t mean it’s always a good time for them.

Tell People What You Think

Don’t let the fear of whether or not people will agree with you stop you, you’ll grow confidence every time you practice this. When you openly share what you think and show others you truly believe it, they will often respect your opinion. This will create more openness between you and those you engage with.

Next Steps
• The tone of voice you use to deliver the truth can make a big difference.
• Work toward building your confidence so you feel more comfortable sharing what you think.

Be Approachable

It’s difficult to effectively engage with others when they perceive you to be unapproachable. Train yourself to be approachable, not just in what you say, but with your non-verbal communication and body language too. Don’t give the appearance that you have completely shut yourself off from others.

Next Steps
• Instead of waiting for people to approach you, approach them first.
• If you receive feedback that you’re unapproachable, ask those who are giving you feedback what you can do to communicate that you want their input.
• Make others feel like they are the most important thing on your to-do list when you are interacting with them.
• Smile, nod, and look people in the eye. Learn names and use them in conversation.
• Be open and transparent about your faults and weaknesses when you interact with others.
• When you receive tough feedback, don’t respond with anything other than, “Thank you.”