Do Your Meetings Have Real Meaning?

Today more than ever, the notion of building purpose in a brand sits central to the development of employee and partner engagement.

Harvard Business Review found that roughly 50% of the global millennial workforce wants work that connects to a larger purpose. And according to a recent Edelman Trust Barometer, when an employer weaves societal values into their engagement efforts, employees are 30% more likely to become engaged, remain loyal and advocate on behalf of their organization. 

The concept of purpose and its relation to engagement has been proven time and again in research, as has the benefit of a more engaged workforce. Gallup’s study, Employee Engagement on the Rise in the U.S., states definitively that organizations with higher engagement scores achieve earnings-per-share growth that is more than four times that of their competitors.

Which means for those of us interested in creating a more productive, loyal and enthusiastic workforce (read: everyone spending time to peruse this post) we must find creative ways to create stronger meaning and purpose in a job.

EVENTS CAN CREATE AND CELEBRATE SOCIAL PURPOSE

We believe meetings, conferences, incentives and events can feed that need, and we have good reason for that belief: experience.

Many of us – especially those with kids – have heard of WE Days. These events celebrate the impact of doing good by kids and educators in schools and communities all over the world. The events are impressive for sure – exceptional speakers with motivational messages and entertainers that can lift your spirit higher than the flight that got you there. But it’s not the stages or speakers or acts that you remember if you’re fortunate enough to attend one of these events. It’s the stories of the actions of the children and their compassion for their fellow man that will leave an indelible impression on your heart and your mind. That’s the power of doing good, and that feeling is amplified through an event that celebrates it.

Adults share the same passion for purpose in their professional lives. A recent Cone Communications survey announced the link between engagement and the increasingly important Millennial workforce – finding that 65% of these employees find that an organization’s dedication to social/environmental causes is directly linked to employee loyalty.

MEANING IN YOUR MEETINGS CAN CREATE PASSION IN YOUR PEOPLE

A few years ago, one of the nation’s largest telecoms had been clipping along in the planning stages for their premier incentive travel program slated for Las Vegas, when suddenly Hurricane Maria blew through San Juan, Puerto Rico leaving behind widespread destruction and a devastated local economy. With a large presence in Puerto Rico, and an employee base with families in need, the telecom made the choice to shift gears and move their entire program to San Juan. The move was an effort to help re-establish business in the area and contribute to regrowth in the economy. The telecom lost oodles in cancelled hotel and service contracts, but what mattered most was the opportunity to help a community in need.

The feedback on site, the social media posts, and the survey results were off the charts. More than satisfied, these winners felt valued and thrilled to be a part of an organization that cares that deeply about them not just as employees, but as family. And this brand enthusiasm results in employee loyalty: in an industry where call center turnover rates average 43%, this brand comes in at only 23%.

MEANINGFUL MEETINGS ARE NOTHING NEW

A past client was a carmaker that talked first about culture, and second about cars. I was working with this client to host a series of regional training events for their service managers and technicians. The meeting consisted of the usual general session, breakouts and networking activities. But this day took a bit of a different turn. As the general session reached the halfway point, an executive took to the stage and said, “friends, we’re taking a break, and we’re going to spend an hour doing something that matters. Meet me next door.”

As the house lights came up and the team members filtered next door, they found themselves standing in a room of unopened boxes filled with brand new bike parts. The same executive grabbed a mic and said, “folks, I know all of you can use a wrench. Today we’re going to use it for a little something different.” And they began building bikes from the parts in the boxes in the room. It was a nice break and a nice way to add a little activity to an otherwise static business meeting. And then it really got good.

When the last technician had tightened the last bolt on the very last bike, the executive came back, and this time she said, “these bikes are going to kids in your communities. But they’re not going to just any kids. They’re going to the kids right here in the room next door.” The doors opened and dozens of kids came flooding into the room with excitement and wonder on their faces. They rushed up to the bikes and the friends who had built them, and with smiles and hugs made it clear that this was a gesture that mattered. It was hard to determine whether the gesture gave more joy to the kids in the room, or whether the real and lasting joy belonged to the men and women who had built the bikes for them. I still remember the swollen eyes and the trembling hands of those technicians who posed for pictures with the kids they had just helped.

I think I remember that room more vividly than any part of any event I’ve attended in the two decades since.  In fact I think it’s one of the most powerful memories of my career.

LET’S GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT

Meetings can have that impact. According to recent IRF research, travel represents the ultimate reward in terms of motivation. Because employees remember, talk about and appreciate non-cash experiential rewards, they reciprocate with greater effort, collaboration, engagement, loyalty and performance.

So let’s give them something to talk about. In the planning of your next meeting, conference, incentive or event, consider the importance of meaning and social purpose. It could just be the one thing that people remember about your efforts for decades to come.