#20 How to activate teams and keep them engaged?

With dr. Eleni Georganta, assistant professor in Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Amsterdam.

Understanding engagement as a continuous process is key to successful employee communication.

When it comes to employee engagement, the 'engaged' vs. 'not engaged' binary is rather simplistic. True engagement requires a holistic, on-going investment into creating open modes of communication and dynamic work cultures.

So, how do we foster these cultures of engagement?

This is the question that Dr. Eleni Georganta helps us unpack in this episode. Dr. Georganta is an Assistant Professor in Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, and a leading researcher in team dynamics and collaboration optimisation.

Ready to get your employees engaged? Let's jump right in!

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This episode is presented by Arne Kötting, and was produced by Nina Cerasuolo and Ana Luiza Loio Becil. FutureReady music theme "Botanics" by Elizabells, and sound editing by Carsten Steffens.

00:55 Eleni’s background

02:47 Emotion, norms, pressure, belonging: what’s an engaged employee?

05:00 How do effective and engaging leadership comms look like?

05:58 Is sugar coating harmful? How to keep communication authentic.

12:18 What makes a team excellent? The ingredients of successful teams.

16:50 On generational differences in teamwork, adaptability, and stress.

19:53 Is teamwork always the best strategy?

22:45 Do organizations know enough about how teams work?

24:17 On how hybrid\remote work challenges team adaptation and engagement.

25:53 On the role of internal communications.

28:38 Tasks performed or social roles? On the importance of personality hires.

31:50 Maslow’s needs pyramid and the importance of belonging.