At Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s sister brand’s 2021 Women in Retail Leadership Summit, Right Management/Talent Solutions coaches Danielle Beauparlant Moser, Christy Silva, CC Cameron, and Bonnie Diamond asked workshop participants to brainstorm ways to positively engage with co-workers, friends and bosses in their organizations.

The following is a compilation of responses from dozens of the workshop’s attendees:

How Can I Contribute to Fostering Engagement and Belonging Within My Organization?

  • With diverse teams from different countries, I like to learn a few words from their language to further engage with them. I try to work that into conversations regularly.
  • Constantly communicate what’s happening that the team thinks is some sort of secret.
  • Read a book as a team on a quarterly basis. Have the team discuss what they like to read, then pick four books for the year so people have others to look forward to if the first wasn’t their top pick. Discuss each book together.
  • “No Agenda” meetings. “Camera Optional” meetings. Asking fun questions to kick off meetings, such as “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
  • Biweekly or monthly meetings called “Ask Me Anything” — welcoming any topic that employees wish to discuss, from their personal struggle to what’s going on with the latest strategy.
  • “Your Time” Fridays in which employees get to relax, disconnect and take a few hours — wherever they’re working — to unwind and just chill.
  • Friday afternoon session with the team to ask three questions: What was your HIGH for the week? What was your LOW for the week? What are you GRATEFUL for?
  • “Show and Tell” activity during Zoom meetings. Invite a few different people each meeting to create short, compelling visuals on something that they would like to talk about.
  • Identify the specific strengths of each employee and have ongoing conversations about what they can be doing to play to those strengths within their role.
  • Start a monthly team meeting in which the agenda is ONLY personal concerns, celebrations, stories, etc.
  • Monthly potluck party, with everyone bringing a food item. It’s a great way to get to know each other better and strengthen relationships and trust. Can be themed, with ethnicity, month’s celebration (e.g., Halloween, etc.), or other clever ideas.
  • Plan a monthly or quarterly coaching conversation with each employee to discuss career aspirations. Cover how they’re doing, desired stretch assignments, other potential developmental activities that would move them toward their goals, etc.

To engage in similar workshops and conversations with other women leaders in the travel and hospitality industry, apply for membership to Women Leading Travel & Hospitality today.