A mindset of engagement chooses to go first. Much like being empowered, being engaged means you get in the game no matter what. You see the needs, and you step in to help, often before being asked.
Maybe this is easy for you because you’re in the game at work. You’re engaged in making decisions, executing plans, and handling business in a way that makes an impact on your fellow employees and ultimately your customers. You have no choice but to show up with a mindset of engagement each day!
Or maybe, you feel you’re on the sidelines at your job. It’s difficult to find ways to be fully engaged because you don’t even feel like you’re in the game. For you, a mindset of engagement is more of a challenge because actually being engaged at work is more of a challenge.
To you, I’d say to remember the element of choice! You can choose to only support your team when you’re in the game. Or you can choose to be a team player all around, both on and off the field. An engaged mindset chooses the latter. It encourages you to see what you can do and to actually do it before being asked.
When I think about engagement, I think of Stetson Bennett. For all you non-SEC football readers out there, Stetson Bennett is the current starting quarterback for the University of Georgia. But that’s not how he began his collegiate career. Bennett walked on to the team as a freshman, never even taking a snap on the field that entire season. He made the decision to transfer to a community college where he could get more playing time to improve his game. In that year, he took every opportunity he could to stay prepared, stay in shape, and stay on top of improving his skills. He did it while no one was looking and no one cared. He chose to stay engaged even when the stakes were low.
And eventually, when UGA came calling again with a scholarship and a spot as the backup quarterback on their roster, Bennett was ready to say yes. He was prepared to play, so much so that he helped carry the team to the 2021 SEC Championship and their standing as 2021 national champions! And I think that’s because he made a commitment to stay engaged in the game no matter what.
He chose to go first, which is exactly what engagement does. When you have an engagement mindset at work, you’re not waiting for your boss to ask you to do something. Instead, you’re choosing to do whatever it takes to help the team, whether you’re asked or not.
Think about the things at your job that nobody else wants to do. What are the jobs your boss hates? What are the things your coworkers often forget? What responsibilities impact the customer experience that are neglected? An engaged mindset will help you see those holes and inspire you to fill them.
Using These Mindsets
So you may be wondering: Should I aspire to having all four mindsets? Are there more mindsets?
And I think the answer is yes to both!
Certainly there are additional positive mindsets that can help us in creating exceptional customer experiences. While the four shared here are huge, I’m sure you can come up with a few that might work well for you right now. So, take it as a great challenge to identify some more! Personally, I think of these mindsets like a toolkit. I see them as adding tools to your mindset toolbox. The more you identify and add there, the more you’ll be able to draw from when you need them.
Just consider how using any of the four we talked about here could help you!
When you struggle to get going in the morning and are tempted to call in sick day, the mindset of excellence will pull you out of bed and get you to your shift looking sharp and on time.
When you feel irritated toward a customer or co-worker, the mindset of empathy will soften your response and help guide the situation to a better place.
When you hear that little, “I wish there was something I could do,” run through your mind, the mindset of empowerment will propel you toward meaningful action.
When you feel timid or like staying to the sides, the mindset of engagement will remind you how much your presence matters in someone else’s day.
For you, I think the question to close is this: What mindset will you put on today? If you’re a growth minded person who wants to see the customer experience improved at your job, what mindset can you choose to contribute to that? Since behaviors follow thoughts, then we’ve got to start with our minds. We’ve got to put on a new mindset to create a new experience—the one we ultimately want for ourselves and for our customers.
Missed Mindset #1: Excellence and Mindset #2: Empathy or Mindset #3: Empowerment? Be sure to check them out!
To keep learning and growing, grab your copy of The Power of Customer Experience and check out the book club video series and user guide for your team.