Watching football was never my thing. That is until I fell in love and married an Iowa Hawkeye’s football enthusiast. I learned a great lesson my first season as a Hawkeye’s football fan that can be applied to creating an engaged workforce – ask your new employees the right questions.
While I’ve attended and watched dozens of football games over the years, my focus was more social than athletic. I honestly thought football was boring, and I didn’t understand why people were so enthralled with the game. In my effort to be a good wife, I made a point to watch every Hawkeye football game this season. During the thirteen games I watched, I began to realize I had not given the game of football enough credit. It wasn’t just a game of who’s the biggest, strongest, and fastest; it was a game of strategy.
My realization came as a result of a patient husband who would explain and re-explain the game. In the beginning of the season, I didn’t know what questions to ask to help me better understand the sport. So, when something big happened, he would ask me, “Do you know why that play was important?” Generally, I didn’t. He would then explain the importance of what had happened.
When new employees join your team, don’t expect them to know what’s going on or even know the right questions to ask. Take the time to ask them the right questions. Help them figure out what questions to ask and what is strategically important to your team.
Don’t expect your new employees to catch the vision of your organization just by coming to work each day. Make a conscious effort to help them understand the vision. If you want to establish a staff that has longevity, help them understand the strategy of what they are working towards. Don’t expect them to magically just “get it” simply by showing up to work.
