State employees reduced average emissions by 60 percent during COVID-19—the equivalent of 27,461 gallons of gasoline consumed, or 41.3 homes’ electricity use for one year. Let’s continue the trend. We have tips, courtesy of GreenerGovCT.

 

What is GreenerGovCT?
GreenerGovCT is a state initiative that challenges state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, curb wasteful water use, and reduce the amount of waste disposed at state facilities over the next decade.

Cynthia Petruzzello, Connecticut Innovations’ vice president of compliance and senior sustainability officer, and Sara Donofrio, CI’s marketing technology manager, are part of the initiative, which Donofrio said she joined because it affected her on a personal level. “I was trying out methods to save on plastic use at home and became very aware of the waste I (and everyone else) produces daily,” she said. “Concerned, I made small changes and encouraged my family to follow my lead. Since I had cut my hair short, I knew I could easily switch over to shampoo and conditioner bars. I also switched to toothpaste tabs and began reusing the soap dispensers in the kitchen and bathroom. Being in that mindset made me more aware of the overuse and waste that takes place outside the home. The GreenerGov initiative offered a way for me to continue to make changes beyond my own household. I’m excited to take part.”

Energy Saving Tips

GreenerGovCT offers five tips to help Connecticut residents lower your carbon footprint and save money. Give one—or all—a try.

Use the dishwasher. If marital spats are any indication, there is a right and a wrong way to load a dishwasher, but what’s not in dispute is the fact you can save $1,300 worth of energy by using the machine vs. washing your dishes by hand. Save even more energy—and water—by turning on your dishwasher’s eco setting if it has one.

Compost. Cut down on food waste—the number one material sent to incinerators and landfills in America—by turning your food scraps into nutrient-rich compost. (You could also stop buying vegetables you never end up using, like Brussels sprouts. And if you figure out how, let us know). 

Make an energy savings plan. Whether you’re a UI customer or an Eversource customer, you can get a free energy analysis that will help you take control of your energy use. Try it—you’ve got nothing to lose, except for, you know, bigger bills.

Boost your bulbs. Make the switch from traditional lightbulbs to ENERGY STAR-certified LED lightbulbs, and you’ll enjoy efficient light that lasts 10 to 25 times longer. (Traditional incandescent bulbs release 90 percent of the energy they use as heat.)

Lower your energy bills. Check out EnergizeCT.com for rebates and incentives. https://energizect.com/rebates-and-incentives

---

Looking for some quick and easy at home waste-saving hacks?

• Use coffee grounds at home for gardening (CI’s new coffee machine recycles pods and we send the remaining grounds for composting.)
• Switch to reusable bags
• Don’t buy bottled water
• Avoid paper cups and other paper liquid-holding containers as they have plastic linings and can’t be recycled
• Change to paperless billing
• Purchase food items using Imperfect Foods/Misfits Market
• Buy second-hand clothes

 

Whether you’re working remotely due to the pandemic or you’ve been doing it awhile and want to improve your game, we’ve got you covered. Our best tips below, from people who have it down.

 

Communicate Better with Your Manager

“Be deadly serious about your daily meetings. Even if you need to drop everything you’re doing or don’t have much to report—call in for the daily meetings. Make it a habit, and make sure you exchange a few words with your manager every day.”
—Nina Krol, outreach specialist, Zety

“Don’t be afraid to take the initiative for scheduling or improving remote meetings. Ideally, remote work communication strategies should come from the top down, but that’s not always the case.”
—David Cusick, chief strategy officer, House Method

“Communicate your schedule with your manager right off the bat. Set the ballpark hours when you’ll be working and available to chat, including the best timeframe for check-ins. It’s especially important to do this if you’re a working parent juggling multiple roles throughout your workday. Let your boss know your hours so they can’t make so many assumptions about your productivity or habits.”
—Ty Stewart, CEO and president, Simple Life Insure

“The key components of being a good remote worker are communication and reliability. How do you know if you’re communicating too little or too much? My rule of thumb is to make sure your work is done on time and to touch base with your manager periodically to see if there is anything you can take off their plate. But managers are busier than ever, so don’t overdo the communication and become a nuisance. The other important factor of working remotely is reliability. Many companies are anxious about not being able to constantly monitor their team and are looking for staff to step up. If you’re asked to do something, get a due date and get the work done. If you have calls or meetings, be present and do your homework beforehand. Your manager should be able to call on you via phone or email like they would if they were knocking on your office door.”
—Brendan Heffernan, writer/editor, Dunk or Three

“If a question or concern requires an in-depth explanation, use a video platform to share screens. These platforms provide more responsive dialogue compared to emails that may get lost in the shuffle.”
—Shannon Walker, founder and president, WhistleBlower Security

“Asking for feedback from your manager is one of the easiest and most effective ways of communicating efficiently and better.”
—Antreas Koutis, assistant administrative and HR manager, Financer.com

“Always follow up with an email to recap objectives after a meeting. Attach deadlines to each to make sure you’re aligned with your team and boss.”
—Eva Peris, cofounder of Wanted

“Many teams struggle with finding the most amazing tool out there. The tool really isn’t the problem, it’s agreeing on the tool. The best thing you can do is get clear with your manager on the communication method they prefer and then agree on how you will communicate. For example, I know that an email will get seen within 24 hours, but if something is urgent, I will send a text message.”
—Allison Chaney, chief digital training officer, Boot Camp Digital

“Remote employees can improve their communication skills by learning about their manager’s preferred style, frequency and method of communication. Some managers prefer to only hear from their employees at the weekly round-up, whereas some prefer daily updates over Slack or a project management tool. By understanding how, what and when their manager expects to hear from them, remote workers can answer questions before they arise. There are two ways to understand a manager’s communication style: observation and questioning.”
—Nelson Jordan, conversion copywriter, digital marketer and host of the Working from Home podcast

Communicate Better with Your Peers

“Most of the time, employees are too focused on a task to actually explain why they need the task completed. Communicating to your teammates why you need that task delivered at a certain time will help them understand how they can contribute.”
—Eva Peris

“Come to an agreement on how members of the organization will communicate with each other. No one method of communication is the best all the time. When an immediate answer is needed or the issue requires discussion, use the phone. For communication that needs an answer within minutes, use text or a chat app. For issues that need a reply within a couple of days, use email. For phone calls that need preparation and focus, use an autoscheduler so a specific time is set aside on each person’s calendar for the call. It sure beats telephone tag. I use a free service called Meetingbird.com.”
—Dr. Frank Buck, author of Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders, FrankBuck.org

“When it comes to communication, you don’t want to be on either extreme. It’s annoying to coworkers if you’re constantly messaging with updates and questions, which can distract them or break their focus. On the other extreme, if you never update coworkers about your progress or reply to messages, it could prevent them from doing their job properly, or lead to redundant work. A good gauge is to compare the frequency of your communication to others on your team. You shouldn’t consistently be the one sending the most or the least messages.”
—Matt Erhard, managing partner, Summit Search Group  

“Respect your colleagues’ needs and preferences when it comes to communications. If you don’t know what those preferences are, ask! For instance, you might know your colleague has a toddler at home. Phone calls might be easier than stationary video calls, since they allow your colleague to talk hands-free away from a screen while multitasking with their child.”
—Ty Stewart

“We’ve seen a lot of success by adding new Slack channels for office-cooler conversations. We’re sharing recipes, movie recommendations and weekend travel pics from our team around the world…find out what your coworkers enjoy, then suggest a topic based on mutual interests.”
—David Cusick

“Agree on a communication platform that is easy for everyone to use. My coworkers and I use Google Hangouts. I leave the window open all day and immediately know if someone needs something. We also have shared calendars, so if someone is not answering immediately, we know they’re busy or in a meeting.”
—Allison Chaney

“Apart from attending the daily huddles, make sure you socialize with your colleagues once in a while. Slack helps work colleagues stay connected and share ideas daily. You can set up a dedicated channel for funny memes or pictures of your pets—something to help you blow off steam and share a laugh. You can also hop on a Zoom video call and play online games. There’s plenty to choose from, including Pictionary, e-charades or Cards Against Humanity and other group activities that span from strategy games and puzzles to those that are more about making each other laugh.”
—Nina Krol

“Here’s the cure-all: virtual working sessions. We are a company that was born online, so we had to get good at this from the get-go. The main issue we had was creating a sense of togetherness. My cofounder works from Ecuador and I from Chicago, and we have team members hopping on from Virginia. We set up two- to three-hour sessions each week for team members to work together. There is no agenda, and employees come and go as they please and work on whatever they please. The result: Team members are three times more responsive on their projects. Goals are actively set and hit each week, and team members say they feel like they’re part of a team again.”
—Rishav Khanal, chief executive officer, inPerson

“Be an exceptional listener. People are desperately looking for other people to listen to them. While your coworker speaks, be present. There is a reason why you have two ears and one mouth. Use them accordingly!”
—Andreas Koutis

“Whether you are senior or a newbie, keeping your [communication] lines open to everyone is one of the best forms of virtual respect you can give. If you want your private number kept private, have a separate phone that people can call with work-related problems. Allow everyone on the team to feel [they can] call you because you are the person who’s a call away.”
—Alicia Hough, corporate wellness expert, The Product Analyst

“Make sure your message is suited to the medium you’re using. If you have a quick question that will require a one-word answer, like Is this blog post approved to go live?, use an instant messaging tool. If it’s a topic that requires in-depth discussion, like We need to talk about this presentation for the Q4 board meeting, book a video call at a time when all parties are able to concentrate on the task at hand.”
—Nelson Jordan

“Open your webcam. Also, if you have colleagues in a different time zone, take note and message them during their working hours.”
—Owen Drury, digital editor, ODDigital

“Work ahead of deadlines to avoid creating emergencies. Sometimes you need a piece of information from someone else before you can move forward on a project. Allow plenty of time in case the other person is unreachable or swamped with work. Don’t let procrastination on your part create an urgency on their part.”
—Frank Buck

“My number-one advice: Condense your communications into as few messages as possible. One of my communication pet peeves is when people send out five one-sentence emails in the span of an hour when they could have sent one message if they thought through what they wanted to say from the beginning. This is especially important if you’re sending messages to a group. Multiple messages lead to multiple reply threads, and that kind of clutter causes confusion and information to be missed.”
—Matt Erhard

Limit Distractions

“Get a room. No room? Get a designated corner, space or table just for working. Avoid working from bed or a couch, because only a few can.”
—Owen Drury

“Stay off social media. Period. It’s a time suck, and I am a digital marketer whose job is to be on social media all the time. Do your best to avoid personal social media site-checking, and stay focused on your tasks. Set deadlines so you’re focused on completing the task vs. whatever is distracting you.”
—Allison Chaney

“You can’t always control distractions, but you can control how many of them you perceive. Having background noise can help block out audible distractions. Don’t use something that’s equally distracting (e.g., don’t turn on the TV).”
—Matt Erhard

“Dealing with distractions as a remote employee is the key to productivity. If you find yourself checking social media as a form of procrastination, use tools like WorkMode and StayFocusd to block access to your accounts for a pre-set period. If you find yourself turning on the TV for background noise, unplug it at the start of every workday or relocate to another room with fewer distractions. If you find yourself distracted by notifications or emails, make it known to your coworkers that you’ll only be available between certain times for productivity reasons.”
—Nelson Jordan

“Distractions can happen anywhere in any environment, and a dedicated workspace may not always be feasible for employees working from home. Decluttering the dedicated space will help provide a more productive environment.”
—Shannon Walker

“Using the Pomodoro Technique® is my one and only tip. Divide your time into ‘Pomodoros.’ Each is a set of 30 minutes where 25 minutes are for work and five minutes are for rest. During the 25 minutes, set yourself a task and do not focus on anything else. After 25 minutes, spend five minutes on a distraction of your choice. These five-minute breaks are mandatory even if the task isn’t finished. After five minutes, start the next Pomodoro and continue the task or start another task. This method has improved the productivity of my entire team.”
—Will Ward, CEO, Translation Equipment HQ

“Avoid distractions by having interesting work at hand. Plan your day the evening before. Establish your ‘Fab 5.’ What are the five items that represent urgent tasks that significantly move a project forward? Put those at the top of your task list. I assign a ‘Priority 1’ to them in Remember the Milk™ [a to-do app]. That puts them at the top of my ‘Today’ list. Break projects into bite-sized pieces that can be accomplished in one sitting. When things are hard or ambiguous, we resist them. Facebook is never ambiguous. It’s easy, and it’s interesting. That’s why people get sucked in.”
—Frank Buck

“Distractions are a part of working. The secret to hacking your own focus is to establish at-work routines. That means working the same hours every day in the same dedicated workspace. It also means scheduling periodic breaks.”
—Ty Stewart

“Distractions are a hard one. I’ve tackled them a few ways: Using extensions/apps to block websites such as Facebook during work hours, [following] the Pomodoro Technique (either 25 minutes working followed by a 5-minute break, or 50 minutes/10 minutes) and altering work hours. If you want to start at 7:30 a.m., and you’re allowed to, do so! I get more distracted in the afternoon, so I make sure to work hard in the morning so I get a lot of work done before lunchtime.”
—Rhiannon Moore, hiring manager, evopure.co.uk

“Mark out your deep work time in advance, and let your employer know you’ll be doing so. Mute notifications, put on noise-canceling headphones and have your to-do list lined up. You should know the approximate [number] of hours it takes you to finish key tasks. If you still can’t handle them even with distractions blocked, track your time and discuss a solution with your manager. You may simply be overburdened, and now you have the data to prove it.”
—David Cusick

Set Boundaries

“A team, not just an employee and her manager but the whole team, should set expectations. Define core working hours, say 10 a.m.– 4 p.m., when everyone’s around and responsive. Outside of that, people can set their [own] expectations, e.g., ‘I start at 7 a.m. because my kids end school at 4 p.m., so I’m not available after 4:00 except for emergencies.’”
—Mark A. Herschberg, author, The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You

“If you can’t follow a schedule or are unable to set boundaries, you need self-control. Words of motivation or self-motivation are useful to regain some balance. Don’t work [during] your break hours or you’ll end up exhausting and stressing yourself, which will reduce your productivity.”
—Rolf Bax, HR manager, resume.io

“Employees who find themselves working all the time should try bullet journaling to track working hours. If journaling is hard, use software that tracks your time. At the end of the day, go through the amount of time you worked. Do this every day. After a week or two, you’ll notice changes in how and when you work. Simply raising the awareness of your process will autocorrect most unhealthy habits that lead to a lack of balance.”
—Will Ward

“It’s far too easy to answer the email that comes in at 9 p.m. and end up still staring at the screen three hours later. Habit is the key here. At the beginning of the day, clear some time for the tasks that are important to you. They could be personal tasks, activities like exercise or deep work that require your full concentration. Protect these hours fiercely. Every day, I begin my morning with yoga and reading. No matter how hectic my day becomes, I know that I’ve accomplished two things that make me feel good and move me forward. I don’t open my laptop, look at emails or think about work until these two things are done. Remote employees can also benefit by implementing a ‘hard stop time.’ This is a time where no matter what is going on, they’ll close the laptop, put the phone down and concentrate on something else. If there are days where you have to break this, that’s fine; just realize that on other days you’ll have to stop earlier to make up for it. If you’re breaking your hard stop almost every night, you need to rethink what’s most important to you. If that’s work, fine, but make sure your family and friends are on the same page—otherwise it’s not fair to them.”
—Nelson Jordan

“This issue is very common, especially for those who don’t have a lot of experience working remotely. There are two common scenarios here. First, employees don’t set boundaries with other people and get overwhelmed with requests. Second, they don’t set boundaries with themselves and end up becoming the victim of an ‘it’s never enough’ mindset. The first step to fixing this issue is self-awareness. You need to be brutally honest with yourself and identify the problem. Once you do, set clear boundaries with others and with yourself. At the beginning of each workday, review your objectives and priorities. Ask yourself: What do I need to accomplish today to feel comfortable switching off? Write everything down and commit to switching off your computer once you accomplish those objectives so you can enjoy your well-deserved rest time.”
—Jimmy Naraine, entrepreneur, Udemy teacher

“When working remotely, it’s easy to get carried away. Put together clear mini-guidelines on when to work and pick a definitive end time to wrap up the workday. You should be productive and execute on your deliverables, but not at the expense of burnout.”
—Max Woolf, career expert, Resume Lab

“Schedule things that cause you to have to stop. I like scheduling a 6 p.m. yoga session, because I know I have to stop work at 5:30 or I’ll miss it.”
—Allison Chaney

“Do a ‘fake commute’ by leaving the house for a quick walk before the day starts. This might feel silly, but I’ve tried it, and it’s quite a nice way to start the day!”
—Rhiannon Moore

“I’ve found a combination of a time-tracking app and break-time alarms to be helpful in reining myself in. It seemed counterintuitive at first, but tracking time helps me keep an objective view, and I find it’s easier to force myself to step away when I can see I’ve already put in eight productive hours. As for the alarms, I set one to tell me when it’s time for lunch, a second to indicate it’s the end of the day, and a third 30 minutes after that—the ‘no, really, stop working now’ alarm.”
—Matt Erhard

Avoid These Common Mistakes

“Recognize the communication styles and timing of other people. It’s easy to walk by someone’s desk and see that they’re busy. It’s harder when they are at home 50 miles away. You can send them an IM, but the message notification may distract them. Talk with others on your team about when and how to interrupt each other. You may even want to set aside specific blocks of time when people understand that everyone is ‘heads down’ and won’t respond to calls, emails or IMs.”
—Mark A. Herschberg

“When working remotely, especially from home, it’s easy to forget that we are meant to be professional. The neuro-associations in our brains say: home = informal. As a result, it’s common for remote workers to make the mistake of not taking certain parts of their work seriously, for instance, participating in video conferences in inappropriate clothing and not making sufficient effort to ensure that the background looks professional.”
—Jimmy Naraine 

“One big mistake is when employees are not responsive online when teammates reach out. If you are completing a task when someone messages you, let them know that you are completing a different project and that you will get back to them as soon as possible. If you are hard to reach during work hours, your colleagues will have a negative perception of your work ethic and communication skills.”
—Shannon Walker

“I see a lot of folks answer communications a little too directly. You know they’re not being short on purpose—the online-only medium robs them of body language, tone and other cues we use to establish rapport in person, so it can be more challenging to convey personality and warmth through text while staying on task.”   
—Ty Stewart

“If you’re communicating via a text medium, avoid sarcasm unless it’s blatantly obvious. If you’re having trouble understanding what a coworker is saying, paraphrase what you think they’re saying back to them to make sure.”
—Melanie Musson, insurance expert, USInsuranceAgents.com

“Be open and transparent with your manager, because they are your safety [net] when things go south. The biggest mistake is to keep managers [in the dark] while you fix errors, because there’s no assurance whether you’ll be able to do so efficiently, and the blame will still be put on the manager. Consider the pros and cons of your actions and how it will affect your upline and downline.”
—Alicia Hough

“Some employees show no interest in others’ work or in socializing. If you attend a daily huddle, pay attention. Say hi, share a short story. Ask how others are doing with their projects. Actively socialize and exchange ideas with your coworkers.”
—Nina Krol

“One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is people multitasking during Zoom meetings. It’s obvious if you aren’t paying attention on Zoom, and it’s really disrespectful to your team.”
—Colin Palfrey

“Not replying to emails on time or canceling one-on-one sessions creates trust issues between your teammates and you. It also makes you seem unreliable.”
—Azza Shahid

“Slacking off on work or frequently taking breaks just because you can is a mistake people often make. It’s important to keep in mind that you’re still at work and to function as you would on a normal workday.”
—Shruthi Rajagopal, digital marketing executive, Clariti app

“A big mistake is not communicating at all. When you’re silent, it raises questions for many people; they wonder if you’re even doing any work. So, clearly communicate your goals for the week. It’s ok to say ‘I’m time blocking and unavailable for four hours so I can focus on this project.’ If you’re producing results, you don’t need to check in as often.”
—Allison Chaney

“Connect with the people most directly linked to your job, and don’t forget to respect hierarchy when working across cultures. Sometimes the person you choose to [go to] first offends another.”
—Katherine King, founder, Invisible Culture

“Don’t be the guy who always wants to correct other people.”
—Andreas Koutis

“Being too intimidating [is a mistake]. Employees, especially those who work in the corporate world, should learn the usefulness of being socially adept and approachable. There’s a positive impact on productivity when employees know they can lean on you and talk to you about any topic.”
—Alicia Hough

“The biggest mistake remote employees make that adversely affects their teammates’ perception of them is assuming everyone knows what they know. As a remote employee, it’s better to over-communicate than under-communicate—no one wants to guess a project’s status or feel like the last to know. If you’ve had a discussion with one team member about something the rest of the team needs to know about, send them a quick summary. You may not realize it, but they may have been waiting on that information to start their tasks.”
—Nelson Jordan

“Don’t be a robot! Some people seem to believe that a kind personality is unprofessional, but adding a smiley face to the end of a WhatsApp message when you’re logging off for the weekend can make it clear to your manager and coworkers that you’re a nice person. I’m sure you can figure out when it’s not appropriate.”
—Rhiannon Moore

“Nothing hurts peoples’ perception of you more than [your] failure to communicate. Silence is deafening. If you’ll need a few days to gather information, respond to the email and say so. Avoid having the other person wonder if you even saw their message.”
—Frank Buck

“Because workers are monitored less (no coworkers to peek on them, no managers to pass by their desk), some splurge on leisure activities during working hours, which affects their efficiency and productivity. There’s no better time for employees to prove themselves. You’re blessed if you’re still employed.”
—Owen Drury

“Recognize there are highs and lows to transitioning to something new. At first it may be exciting and daunting. It’s a bit of a roller coaster, but with time the ride gets more familiar and normal.”
—Katherine King

---

Master these tools to be a better remote worker:

 

• Google G Suite for documents, emails, schedules and cloud sharing
• Slack for communicating with small teams and sharing documents
• ImageOptimizer for resizing, compressing and optimizing image files (this is important when sending out large images and you want to save on bandwidth)
• Grammarly for finding and correcting grammatical mistakes in written documents
• Self Control for avoiding distracting websites so you can focus on work (it’s free)
• Dropbox for free cloud space up to 2GB
• Yanado for managing inside Gmail
• RealTimeBoard to use as a regular whiteboard

—Skyler Reeves, president and CEO of Ardent Growth

WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING, WORDS MATTER. HERE ARE THE ONES TO USE.

 

Pop quiz: What percentage of buying decisions are made subconsciously? Twenty percent? Thirty? Fifty? Guess again. Recent research puts the figure at a staggering 90 percent. Nancy Harhut, co-founder and chief creative officer of HBT Marketing, has built an impressive business tapping into that subconscious by writing marketing copy influenced by neuroscience. After she knocked our socks off at the 2020 Content Marketing Conference, we asked her to share her techniques with us here. Luckily for us, she said yes! 

---

Connecticut Innovations: Thanks for lending us your expertise, Nancy. Let’s dive right in: The fact that nearly all buying decisions are made subconsciously is remarkable. Is this what got you interested in studying neuroscience and how it impacts marketing?   

Nancy Harhut: It is an impressively high number! I first saw this stat in Gerald Zaltman’s book How Customers Think. In fact, he puts that number at up to 95 percent. Not long after that, I read Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Between those two books, I was hooked. I began applying what I’d read to some of the real-world marketing challenges my clients faced, and when the results were good, I just kept on going. 

CI: What are some words we can use to our advantage?  

NH: There’s a lot of research (in-market, heat mapping, eye tracking) that proves some words are more important to marketers than others. These words have the power to leap off the page or screen and attract the human eye like a magnet. That’s why I refer to them as “eye-magnet words.”  

As people are skimming and scanning, which is often what they do before they commit to fully reading something, these words attract their attention and make it more likely they will engage with the content. So, I recommend using them in “high-read” pieces of marketing real estate, such as email subject lines, content titles, ad headlines, direct mail teaser copy and the like. Some of these words include you, free, new, now, discover, alert and the target’s name. 

CI: Can you give some examples of how certain phrasing influences how people respond? 

NH: Social scientists have found that the words we use to describe something influence our perception of and reaction to that thing. Think of someone describing a glass as “half empty” or “half full.” That colors how you see the glass.  

Researcher Elizabeth Loftus conducted an experiment in which she showed people a video of a car accident. After watching the video, some people were asked to estimate how fast the cars were going when they “crashed.” Others were asked to estimate how fast the cars were going when they “contacted.” The first group estimated 40.8 mph, while the second group estimated 31.8 mph—a difference of over 28 percent. Remember, everyone saw the same video. The only difference was the verb used when people were asked about it. 

The Journal of Consumer Research reports that framing a shipping fee as a “small $5 fee” resulted in a 20 percent lift in sales versus calling it a “$5 fee,” even though people know how much five dollars is. And an Unbounce study found that referring to a special deal as a “giveaway” instead of a “promotion” increased the conversion rate by 50 percent. 

I worked on a campaign where I positioned the CTA to increase the target’s insurance coverage as a way to avoid being below the midrange amount the insurance company offered. That resulted in a triple-digit lift in sales over the control. 

CI: What is the information gap theory, and how can marketers use it to their advantage? 
 
NH: Behavioral economist George Lowenstein found that if there is a gap between what you know and what you want to know, you will take action to close that gap. Marketers, of course, want people to take action, so using information gap theory can be very helpful. For example, writing headlines or subject lines that begin with Who, What, Where, When, Why or How is a good way to tee up an information gap. Similarly, offering to provide the answer to “the best…” or “the worst…” or “the most…” can also work. People are curious, and they want to find out the answer so they can close the gap in their information. Finally, numbered lists can also be used to prompt people to take action to find an answer. And numbers are especially good, because the human brain craves ease and order, and numbers naturally promise that. 

CI: We’ve heard you say that people are twice as motivated to avoid pain as they are to achieve pleasure. Makes sense, but does negative messaging bring down the mood? Or brand perception? 

NH: Good question! Touting the benefits or advantages of a product is a proven marketing approach, and I’m not suggesting we walk away from that. However, social scientists have found that people are more motivated to avoid the pain of loss than to achieve the pleasure of gain. So, a little well-placed loss aversion can be a powerful marketing tool, while still enhancing brand perception and leaving the target feeling good. 
 
For instance, instead of focusing on all the wonderful things that will happen if you buy my product or service, how about pointing out the terrible things it will help you avoid instead? Or consider saying, “Don’t miss” instead of “Take advantage of.” Both can position your company as helpful, which leaves a good impression. 

One of my favorite examples of using this technique was for a conference that was making a time-sensitive offer. Their email subject line said, “Don’t pay an extra $300” for the event, instead of “Save $300” on the event. 

CI: You talk about overcoming objections before you can persuade. How do you go about figuring out what those objections are if you have a new product or service? 

NH: First you need to put yourself into the mindset of your customer. Think about why they may be hesitant to do what you want them to do. Maybe they aren’t familiar with your company. Maybe they think your price is too high. Maybe they worry the product or service won’t be as good as you claim it is. 
 
If you’re able to, conduct some research to inform these hypotheses. Ask your first customers why they did business with you. Ask them what almost held them back. Ask your salespeople and customer service reps what they hear from prospects in the market. If you’re able, have a researcher speak with prospects you didn’t convert, as well as “suspects” (people you believe should be in the market but haven’t yet had contact with you). You can even type your product category into Google and see what people say about it. 

Once you’ve developed an idea of what the biggest objection is for your target (and it may vary by segment), you can brainstorm which behavioral science principles to test to overcome it. 

CI: Our readers may be surprised to learn that people make decisions for emotional reasons and then justify them with rational ones. Why is this, and how do you address both in your copy? 
 
NH: It can be surprising to hear, and even more so if you’re in a B2B setting, where you may think all decisions are carefully thought out. And while it’s true that some decisions do prompt a lot of consideration, many others happen reflexively, driven by emotion. Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio studied people who’d sustained damage to the parts of their brains that control emotion, and he found that they were virtually incapable of making a decision—even one as simple as what they’d like to eat for lunch that day. He showed that humans need to draw upon the part of the brain that controls emotion when making decisions.  

Keep in mind, though, that people will often tell you that they made a decision for a specific reason. This is the rationalization that comes later, because people themselves don’t always know why they do what they do. 

As a result, marketers need to provide both the emotional hook that prompts purchase and the rational, supporting reasons that justify it in their communications. For example, you may buy that new BMW because of the way you’ll feel driving it into work, but you’ll tell your coworkers about how well engineered it is. So, your copy would need to get the target to imagine how she’ll feel driving the car, and then include some solid proof points that speak to why it’s a smart purchase. 

CI: What is the Von Restorff effect, and how does it apply to marketing?  

NH: Social scientists have found that humans are hardwired to notice and remember things that are different. Researchers believe this may go back to our caveman days, when something new introduced into the environment could pose a very real life-or-death threat. All these years later, people are still hardwired to notice something that stands out from its surrounding environment.  

Marketers can use this in a variety of ways. Email subject lines that have the first word or two enclosed in brackets have shown a double-digit lift in opening rates (Worldata) because most subject lines do not contain brackets. Direct mail envelopes made of paper that feels soft or that have an unusual shape are other examples. So, too, are digital ads that involve motion, which serves to draw your attention away from the static content on the site where they appear and direct it to the ad. 

CI: How about the Zeigarnik effect? 

NH: Social scientists have found that people have a desire for completeness. We don’t like to leave things incomplete. We like to finish what we started. It’s why cliffhangers work so well in the media. We want to find out what happens, how the show ends.

Marketers can employ the Zeigarnik effect by opening with a story. They can also use progress bars to indicate something’s been started and isn’t yet completed. Sending an email reminding someone that they left something in their e-commerce shopping cart, or that they started to personalize or customize a product but haven’t yet finished it, is a good example of the Zeigarnik effect being used in marketing.  

Research even shows that giving someone a frequent shopper punch card that has the first square stamped results in that person being more likely to make the subsequent purchases to fill the card than giving the shopper a blank punch card, even when the actual number of purchases involved in both cases is the same (e.g., 10 squares with the first square pre-stamped versus nine blank squares). 
 
CI: How can our readers keep up with neuromarketing trends? 

NH: There is some good information out there. I listen to podcasts by Roger Dooley, Kenneth Kinney, Adam Grant and Shankar Vedantam. I read the blogs that Robert Cialdini and Dan Ariely publish. Tim Ash has a new book about neuromarketing out.   

And if they’re interested, people can also find some timely interviews and posts in the news section of my agency’s website: HBTmktg.com. 

LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE AND GETTING EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP MAY BOOST YOUR BRAINPOWER, BUT YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE THE TIME. HERE’S HOW TO DO IT INSTEAD, ACCORDING TO A NEUROSCIENTIST.

It’s Official: Memory Complaints Are Universal

You’re introducing your coworker to a new hire, giving a presentation or answering a question about a critical metric when suddenly, you can’t recall the name/key point/piece of data you need. Maybe you feel embarrassed by your gaffe, or frustrated with your lack of recall, or perhaps you worry there’s something wrong with you. You’re not alone. “Memory complaints are universal: We all have them, and we all dislike the experience of not being able to remember something at a critical time,” says Dr. Heather Collins, a cognitive neuroscientist and speaker. But what can you do about it?

Your Memory Isn’t the Problem

The first thing to know is that your memory isn’t the problem. “The most common pitfall with a ‘bad memory’ isn’t actually memory itself, it’s attention,” says Dr. Collins. “For your brain to make a memory, you first must pay attention to the thing you intend to remember.”

Since they’re so busy, entrepreneurs can easily overlook the importance of paying attention, but paying attention is critical to memory making. “If you’re having a conversation with somebody, take a moment to think about what they’re saying instead of how you’ll respond. If you’re watching a presentation, separate the information you want to remember from the irrelevant information that can be tossed aside,” Dr. Collins says. Doing this allows you to focus on creating a strong memory you can recall rather than a weak one you can’t.

How Memories Form

Your hippocampus is a small, curved structure near the center of your brain. It’s associated with learning and emotions, and is involved in the formation of new memories, but it doesn’t work alone. “The hippocampus works in collaboration with other brain regions to form a network that represents each memory,” explains Dr. Collins.

How can you use this information to your advantage? “Don’t just repeat the word, phrase or point [you’re trying to remember] over and over, because you’re likely to forget much of the information if that is your only strategy,” says Dr. Collins. “Instead, associate the to-be-remembered information with everything else you know. For example, if I ask you to remember ‘apple,’ start by creating a mental image of an apple, which will form a link between your hippocampus and the vision areas in your occipital lobe. Next, think about a specific apple, like a Granny Smith apple, and what it tastes like, feels like and smells like. Maybe think of a story about an apple, such as the time you knocked over a stack of Granny Smith apples at the grocery store.”

Dr. Collins says this imagery and sensory information creates a broad representation network including your somatosensory cortices and your frontal lobes, and will ensure that you create a powerful memory. “Be specific and include as many contextual details and stories as possible.”

While this technique takes work, it’s worth the effort. “Have you ever tried a new weightlifting program or exercise class? It was probably difficult and awkward at first, but then it became part of your routine as you gained experience. Creating a powerful memory is just like that,” says Dr. Collins. “By engaging in this cognitive effort now, you are training your brain to create powerful memories with each important encounter. After a while, your brain will do this automatically and it will feel effortless. Not only will you generate lasting memories, but you will also free up your cognitive resources for other critical tasks.”

Running on Autopilot Kills Memory Making AND Creativity

If sharpening your focus can boost recall, can it help in other areas, such as creativity? You bet. Operating on autopilot can be restful, but it can also lead to missed opportunities and missed connections.

So what is autopilot, and why is it bad? “Autopilot is a form of automatic thinking that requires few resources, minimal effort and even less mental awareness,” says Dr. Collins. “During autopilot, your default mode network is active and humming, but complex networks involved in thinking, reasoning and decision-making are passive.” (If you’ve ever found yourself thinking “What did I just do?” or “Where did the time go?,” chances are, your brain was on autopilot.) Dr. Collins likens the phenomenon to a car idling at a stop sign. “It’s on, but it isn’t going anywhere. To shift your brain to active pilot, you need to give it some gas.”

Why fight autopilot? Because it can have serious consequences. “When your brain is on autopilot, you fail to think creatively, fail to identify solutions and fail to engage in high-level problem solving,” says Dr. Collins. “Being on autopilot also limits your effectiveness in performing important tasks, taking on challenges and achieving goals. Your options are fewer, opportunities are missed, and there is a narrowing of potential connections made between you and your world.” Not a good state to be in if your company’s success depends on your ability to continually innovate!

Killing the Autopilot Switch

Turns out, switching your brain fully on is easy—as is not letting it switch off in the first place. You simply have to rely on external cues. “When your brain slips into autopilot, you’re unlikely to be aware of small internal signals that indicate you’re not performing at your best,” says Dr. Collins. “External cues help you snap out of autopilot and can prevent your brain from slipping in the first place.”

You can create an external cue by setting a timer on your phone or computer. “Think about how difficult your task is and set a reasonable time limit for the project. The key is to make it long enough to accomplish meaningful progress but short enough to prevent your brain from slipping.” Aim for 20 minutes or less; research suggests that your brain’s default mode network needs to refresh that often.

To keep your brain from going on autopilot in in-person settings, like meetings or presentations, Dr. Collins suggests asking someone who is attending with you to prompt you every so often with a meeting-related question. Alternatively, you can take notes—with pen and paper—every 2–5 minutes. (Don’t take notes on a digital device, since they’re distracting; if you use a device at all, make sure it’s as a timer only.) Another effective method is asking questions. “When you ask questions, you engage your brain’s frontal cortex,” says Dr. Collins, who explains that this is the region of the brain where critical cognitive processes, such as reasoning, thinking and decision-making, occur. “Keeping your frontal cortex active ensures that you’ll be ready to engage in complex reasoning and decision-making and won’t be caught off guard.”

Finally, reframing business activities may help you see them in a new light. “Many times, we walk out of meetings or presentations believing they were worthless, but if we don’t do our part to get the most out of every professional situation, we have done ourselves a disservice,” says Dr. Collins. Even a dull presentation may contain a few gems. Make sure to fully engage, and you might just find a few you would have otherwise missed!

For more tips on using neuroscience to your advantage, watch Dr. Collins’s TEDx talk.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A WORLD-FAMOUS DIRECTOR TO SHOOT GREAT VIDEOS, BUT WE ASKED ONE FOR ADVICE ANYWAY

 

If you haven’t yet added videos to your marketing mix, you might want to start. Video drives traffic to your site, boosts sales and leads to fewer support calls. What’s more, 88 percent of businesses say video gives them a positive ROI. Think video costs too much or that you won’t be able to produce quality videos in house? We did, too. So, we asked world-famous photographer and director Michael Grecco for pointers. A former photojournalist, Grecco has published several best-selling photography books, and his clients include Steven Spielberg, Will Smith, Robert Duvall, Martin Scorsese, Janet Jackson, Mel Brooks, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Jet Li, Joaquin Phoenix and others. In other words, the man knows his stuff. Luckily for us, he’s happy to share his knowledge.

 

Connecticut Innovations: Thanks for talking with us, Michael. We know you’re busy, and so are our readers, so we’ll get right to it: Is it possible for a cash-strapped startup to produce high-quality videos?

Michael Grecco: Yes! If you need video and you have some budget, you can hire a cameraperson for a day for between three hundred and five hundred dollars. During that time, you should be able to shoot 10 videos. Decide what you need, group them, shoot them together and then have the professional you hired do the cuts. Cuts for 10 videos should run you another fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars.

CI: What if you want to shoot the video yourself? Is it possible to capture high-quality video on a smartphone?

MG: Yes. In fact, I’m a big fan of the iPhone 11; it has great video capabilities. If you decide to shoot video on a smartphone, you have two choices: Put the phone on a tripod or have a partner hold the phone. The latter option is better, since the person who’s holding the phone can start the recording when you’re ready and stop when you’re done, which means there’s no need for you to go back later to edit out the start or the tail.

CI: What about orientation?

MG: Horizontal wins. Facebook and other platforms require horizontal, so why not use that space.

CI: Your peers call you a master of lighting, and you’ve written books on the subject. Can you give us some pointers?  

MG: Consider what people need to see in the background. Unless you’re a beauty blogger, there should be content. If the video is for manufacturing or sales, think about your content first. Then lighting. You don’t want any straight overhead light, especially at noon, because you’ll wind up with people who appear to have black eye sockets. The same goes for an office shot. As far as light source, I don’t recommend having it on your camera unless you’re walking around. Your best bet is to go online and buy LED video lights. Lume Cube has nice panel lights. Put them on a light stand so they’re off camera, and angle them so that the light source is 45 degrees to the subject off to left or right, and one-and-a-half feet higher than the subject, aimed at his or her face. Don’t put your light source at your subject’s feet, because the person will appear ghostly.

CI: What about audio?

MG: You can rely on your iPhone microphone if the phone is close enough to what you want to record. If the action is far away, like across the street, you’re never going to get good audio. You can get a separate microphone to record audio, but then you’re in a whole different ball game, because you’ll need a clapper and someone to clap it. [A clapper board, like the one pictured at right, helps you synch audio to video when the two have been recorded separately.]

Zoom has a great product for recording audio. You can get a wireless or wired lavalier. Hook it up, and if it’s wired, run it up the inside of your subject’s shirt. Or, you could get a shotgun mic/boom, which, since it takes noise from a small space, you’ll need to put above your subject. Don’t put it below, because there’s less noise down there, plus perhaps carpet, which will absorb sound.

CI: What video editing software do you recommend?

MG: It all depends on the time you want to put into it. iMovie from Apple is easy to learn, entry-level software. Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional video editor that takes a while to master.

CI: What tools should cash-strapped startups invest in?

MG: You can invest a lot of money, or you can keep it simple. Video equipment costs have come down a lot. You can invest in a Zoom mic, like we talked about earlier, but you need an extra human to operate it. If you have two extra humans, get a boom mic. Now you’re a pro.

Get the Lume Cube light—the panel light. Don’t get the little one, which is good for, like, hiding in a car dashboard and shooting there, but it won’t go beyond two feet. You’ll lose power. There’s something called the inverse square of light [which describes light’s intensity at different distances from its source]. If you move from one to two feet, light intensity doesn’t cut in half, it is quartered. Light scatters.

If you have some money, and you think you’re going to produce video regularly, invest in a Sony camera. You can purchase a Sony A7S, which is more of a video camera, for about two thousand dollars. If you’re doing stills, product shots and headshots, the new Sony A7R Mark IV is killer. It’s a beautiful, high-end camera that costs around four thousand dollars. If you think you might buy a Zoom mic and you’re recording sound, just get the Sony.

CI: What are the biggest mistakes amateurs make when shooting video?

MG: Amateurs never consider sound. In fact, sound is a failure of many movies and documentaries. It needs to be considered.

CI: Any final thoughts before we let you get back to work?

MG: Shooting video isn’t magic, it’s common sense. Look at professional videos you admire. [Find Michael’s here.] Yours should look and sound like those.

Have press releases gone the way of phone books and QR codes? Or are they still effective for spreading the word about your latest company news? We asked journalists, PR pros and marketing experts to weigh in.

 

You may have heard that the press release is dead. Those of us in the communications industry have been hearing it for years, but the truth is, press releases—short communications that relay news—are very much alive. “Many reporters still prefer to receive press releases because they are the easiest way to understand the who, what, where, when and how of your announcement,” says Michelle Barry, a public relations strategist with Chameleon Collective.

Former news reporter Liz Jeneault, now a vice president of marketing with Faveable, agrees. “I believe in the power of press releases. When I worked as a reporter, I relied on them for story ideas.…They are chock-full of great information, and they’re a great jumping[-off] point for a story, especially on a slow news day.”

While press releases still have their place, it’s important to note that they’re evolving right along with the communications industry. “Press releases don’t have the same effect that they used to,” says Ronjini Joshua, owner and CEO of The Silver Telegram, a PR agency. “They are used more like fact sheets and reference points. They also are a primer for reporters to determine whether they want to create a bigger story out of the news.”

“A press release…should be viewed as one of many tools at the disposal of a company,” says Edward Yang, managing partner at Firecracker PR. “If your goal is to create an online profile with a history of official announcements that are picked up automatically by certain websites, press releases can do that. However, if you’re looking to generate original stories from reporters, the chance of that happening from a press release on a wire service is low.”

“Issuing a release over the wire can be expensive and doesn’t guarantee media coverage,” adds Barry. “The press release is only one small part of a larger strategy.”

So how do you use a press release strategically? The first step is to determine if your news is actually newsworthy. “Many clients want a press release for every new hire and promotion,” says Margaret H. Geiger, the owner of Twelve31 Media, a full-service marketing company. “This [information] may be important to the business internally, but news outlets wouldn’t consider [it] very newsworthy.”

What is likely to catch a reporter’s attention? “Grand openings, big events, nonprofit/charitable contributions and fundraising opportunities, new product launches and notable business acquisitions,” says Geiger.

Writing the Press Release

If you have an announcement that is truly worthy of a press release, there is a right way to go about crafting it. “Most companies organize their press releases using a completely wrong approach,” says Rafe Gomez, co-owner of VC Inc. Marketing, a public relations firm. “By not understanding the essential ‘rules’ that make a press release readable, interesting and usable, these organizations will have tremendous difficulty attaining the valuable benefits that a well-crafted press release can deliver.”

Besides sharing updates that are truly newsworthy, Gomez says companies should present the information clearly and concisely, and avoid hype. “Mirror the flow of a CNBC story rather than a QVC segment,” he says.

“Keep it under 500 words,” adds Barry. “Avoid jargon and buzzwords, and focus on customer benefits. Don’t make overinflated claims that you can’t back up with facts, and when it comes to quotes, ditch the fluff. Remove any quote that starts with ‘We are excited….’ They add no value.”

Besides these tips, be sure to format the release properly (search “how to write a press release” or view examples here). Include hyperlinks where relevant—two or three at most. You can also use images and video if they help tell your story.

Promoting Your News
Once you have a well-written, jargon-free press release, you need to promote it. “In an innovative industry like tech…every press release should be on a company website, on the internet more broadly, on tech blogs, on all your social media channels, and, if it is a major announcement like a funding round, on a paid press release distribution service,” says Andrew Blum, a PR consultant with AJB Communications. “Using a video to serve as a press release announcement is also a good way to go.”

You also need to pitch your news to reporters. (Simply hoping they’ll write a story after seeing your release isn’t a sound strategy.) What is? Doing your homework.

“Building relationships with media and news outlets is extremely important,” says Geiger. “Maintaining an up-to-date media list that is specific to your industry is key since the news world has a high turnover.” You can build these relationships by reading and commenting on industry blogs, following the trade press, connecting with influencers, and following journalists and editors who cover your industry on Twitter and other social media sites.

It also pays to be persistent. “Media personnel are busy, and some receive hundreds of emails a day,” says Geiger. “To get seen among the clutter, always follow up with a phone call. For bonus points, find their social media handles and reach out via direct message. They’ll appreciate the urgency and determination.”

“You never know what a reporter is looking for, so it’s important to keep sending them press releases,” says Jeneault. “Even if you don’t get a response the first or second time around, you might on the third. When I used to host and executive produce a weekly news program, I remember passing on one woman’s press releases several times until I finally received one that fit what I was looking for. Even though I had ignored her for months, her patience and persistence paid off. I booked two of her clients to appear on my show.”

Note, too, that your time might be better spent courting the trade press rather than the big media outlets. “The wider the market you’re going after, the harder it is to get press,” says Yang. “It is magnitudes harder to get a mention in a national mainstream media outlet versus in an industry-specific magazine. Yet the latter often offer the best opportunities to generate press if you can tailor your message for unique audiences.”

Press Release as SEO Tool
Besides helping you to engage reporters, press releases have a place in your search engine optimization strategy. “Establishing a strong brand position in Google and other search [engines] is important, if not critical, to most companies, and press releases serve as strong SEO and online reputation management tools,” says Eric Fischgrund, the founder of FischTank, a marketing and PR firm. “Releases that are well written, laden with keywords relevant to [your] business, and [that contain] links to important online assets are helpful for online branding.”

“With the rise of social media and digital marketing, press releases now are an invaluable resource for gaining organic backlinks, which are important in digital marketing, especially SEO,” says SEO expert Kenny Trinh, CEO and founder of Netbooknews. Like the other experts we consulted, though, Trinh cautions that focusing on backlinks is not enough. “Press releases will be effective only if the content is useful, newsworthy and done correctly.”

Go Beyond the Press Release
“Companies with a small marketing budget can make a large impact by investing their time and resources in PR,” says Olga Mykhoparkina, chief marketing officer of Chanty. “We’ve extensively used platforms such as HARO, Sourcebottle and JournoRequests. With just a few hours per day, we’ve been able to get massive exposure for our website, as well as a large number of backlinks (30-plus) every month, just by following what journalists are asking for and giving them the right information in time.”

You can also contact reporters directly. “I will only write a press release if the client asks for a formal release they can use on their website for SEO and/or content,” says Patricia Jones, founder of PJones Communications. “If a client wants me to generate news coverage for their product, service or industry, I craft pitch emails customized to the reporter or editor I am writing to. In the first sentence, I tell the reporter why the pitch is of interest to their audience. I don’t waste the reporter’s time, and I don’t waste my client’s resources by writing a lengthy press release that will most likely go to spam or get deleted.”

You’ve seen it before: A once promising employee stops taking initiative. Spends far too much time scrolling through Facebook. Constantly calls out sick, and is nowhere near reaching the goals you agreed on. As a manager, can you turn a disengaged employee around? Should you bother? Read on for advice.

First things first: What is employee engagement?

According to CustomInsight, a leading provider of online HR assessment and development tools, employee engagement is “the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and put discretionary effort into their work.” (Don’t confuse employee engagement with employee satisfaction, which merely indicates whether your employees are happy.)

So how does an employee become engaged—or not? “Studies show work engagement is influenced by three primary psychological states: meaningfulness, safety and availability,” says Zach Mercurio, Ph.D., a faculty member and researcher in the department of psychology at Colorado State University. “Psychological meaningfulness is characterized by an employee’s knowledge and belief that what they do is positive, purposeful and significant. Psychological safety manifests when employees perceive they can speak up about new ideas or concerns without fear of retaliation or [damaging their] reputation. Psychological availability means employees have access to the resources they need to do their job. When these three things occur, engagement usually follows. But there’s a catch. If the demands of the job (i.e., time and tasks) outweigh the resources one has to maintain energy for the job, burnout and disengagement can follow.”

Since engagement is not always easy to measure, you might want to rely on more than just observation—your own and others’—to assess a particular employee’s situation. “Employees have different personalities,” says Lilia Stoyanov, CEO of Transformify. “Some may be more enthusiastic and outspoken than others but not necessarily more engaged.” Stoyanov suggests measuring engagement via 360-degree peer reviews and surveys, met deadlines, and the employee’s voluntary enrollment in internal training and other activities that are encouraged by the company.

Addressing disengagement

If you’ve noticed a troubling pattern that lasts more than a few weeks, talk to the employee right away. “Too often we fall into a bad habit of talking about our employees with managers and coworkers when it would be just as easy (and a lot more useful) to talk to them,” says Jason David, CEO of Software Portal. There may be an easy way to remedy the disengagement and pull them back in.”

It’s not uncommon for employees to have weeks that are just off, [so] discussing it with them is a good way to make sure it doesn’t become a trend, adds Alexander Kehoe, co-founder and operations director at Caveni Digital Solutions. “It’s unhelpful to discipline an employee if they are in the middle of something in their personal life that could be hurting their performance. The ebb and flow of productivity are perfectly normal, and getting to the bottom of why an ebb is occurring should be your main concern.”

Chuck Mollor, an executive leadership coach, agile management expert, and founder and CEO of MCG Partners, agrees that talking to your employee is a good first step, but cautions managers not to assume the employee is disengaged. “Leaders who notice a change in an employee should start with a sit-down meeting, informally and privately with the employee, to ask how they are doing. If they respond that everything is fine, it’s your opportunity to offer specific observations describing how they may be showing up in meetings, responding to questions, their recent level of activity, team participation, energy level or performance. The purpose is to not accuse them or make them defensive; this should be a conversation of concern and empathy.”

Ellen Mullarkey, vice president of business development at Messina Staffing, stresses the need for a calm, relaxed environment for the discussion, one “where the employee feels comfortable speaking freely.” Like Kehoe, Mullarkey advises leaving performance out of the first conversation. That way, there won’t be tension, and the employee won’t feel reprimanded, she says.

If you’re unsure how to begin the conversation, Leesa Schipani, SHRM-SCP, a partner with KardasLarson, advises asking the following:

• What motivates you to stay with the organization?
• Why do you want to succeed in your role?
• Which aspects of our culture work for you? Which do not?
• If you were your own manager, how would you manage yourself?
• How can I help you have a more rewarding experience each day?

During the conversation, “you need to be prepared to hear some negative things about the organization and your leadership style,” Schipani cautions.

Robert Moses, founder of The Corporate Con/noisseur, agrees. “When we measure engagement, we do so by asking our employees for their honest feedback. But this only works if you can create an environment of openness and one without fear of retribution. By being open and honest with our staff, we get the same courtesy back,” he says.

Once you’ve identified the root cause of the problem, you can begin to remedy it. “If a personal issue is distracting the employee, he or she should be referred to an HR support function for employees who are facing personal or family issues,” says Irv Goldfinger, managing director at Actualize Consulting. “If the root cause is job related, identify whether it’s the employee’s assignment, the clients that the individual must deal with on a daily basis, an issue with other team members, or challenges with colleagues or a supervisor. Once the cause is identified, a formal program for resolution should be drafted in conjunction with the employee and his or her supervisor.”

Performance improvement plan or termination?
If you discover that your employee is disengaged from the job and not just going through a temporary rough patch, you’ll have to determine whether a performance improvement plan is the logical next step, though the solution may be even simpler. “Depending on the factors driving the lack of engagement, the employee could be assigned to a new project, moved to a different team, etc.,” says Stoyanov.

“Determine whether [the employee] understands the work and finds it useful,” says Rich Franklin, founder and president of KBC Staffing. “Then, figure out if they have a good relationship with their manager and whether they are able to communicate with him or her. Once you have these answers, tailor your solution. Telling someone to become more engaged is probably not going to help. It’s equivalent to telling someone to feel better when they have the flu. You need to be clear that there is a problem and lay out a clear set of guidelines for improvement. It’s important that your employee knows what needs to change and by what date.”

“If the employee has quality characteristics and a decent attitude, and is coachable, it’s in everyone’s best interest to put a mutually agreeable plan [in place] for specific areas of growth,” says Tracy Washington, a Certified Leadership Engagement Consultant and author of Relationship Leadership: How to Strengthen Relationships to Build More Trusting and Effective Teams.

A performance improvement plan doesn’t always make sense, though. “You don’t want to put an employee on a performance improvement plan when they clearly don’t want to work for your organization,” says Schipani. “At that point, help them transition out.”

“There are times when termination is appropriate, in cases of sabotage, lack of team collaboration, or [an employee who] is toxic to the culture,” adds Washington.

“There’s a difference between being disengaged (apathetic) and actively disengaged (destructive),” adds Bryan Zawikowski, vice president and general manager at executive search firm Lucas Group. “Actively disengaged people will sabotage your business and your team. They look for ways to undermine you and destroy the organization. Don’t try to fix these people. Terminate them immediately. There is hope for disengaged associates, but don’t let it fester. Deal with it privately and directly. Explain that you have noticed the behavior change—be specific—and ask them why. Don’t let them get away with a simple apology. Once you find out what’s driving the disengagement, you can take appropriate action to get it turned around.”

“If you feel the employee has the potential to turn it around, have an open, honest and courageous dialogue,” says Mollor. “They need to understand the gap between where they are and where they need to be. If an employee does not demonstrate they can do their job effectively or improve performance after feedback, coaching and development, or they do not consistently demonstrate the appropriate values and behaviors of your organization and culture, then terminate them. The longer you procrastinate, the longer your morale and overall team performance may suffer.”

What about your A-players?
Speaking of morale, you need to consider how the actions of a disengaged employee and your reaction (or lack thereof) are affecting your top performers, who may be annoyed that they’re required to compensate for their teammate’s lack of effort. “Sometimes all it takes to smooth over ruffled feathers is to let them know that you aren’t oblivious,” says David.

You can keep your A-players motivated by giving them complicated assignments and sponsoring their continuing education, says Stoyanov. “By default, A-players are bright people eager to learn and develop.” Financial incentives are also key. “Performance bonuses are a great way to encourage good performance and differentiate the A-players from those who aren’t pulling their weight,” she says.

You can also stress to your top performers that not everyone is cut from the same cloth. “Remind your A-players that the world is not created equal and not everyone is on the same level as they are,” says Mollor.

“If [top performers] come to you with complaints, assure them that you’re addressing the problem,” says Mullarkey. “Talk to them, and use their input to steer your course of action. You shouldn’t share any information with them about their coworker’s improvement plan, as it’s not their business, but you should let them know that you take their input to heart and that you’re working on rectifying the issue.”

Zawikowski puts it a little more bluntly: “A-players who are fully engaged recognize those lower on the engagement ladder and need to see their leader doing something about it or they won’t stay around.”

Adds Washington, “A leader must demonstrate the ability to confront the under-performing employee in a timely manner or risk losing their credibility and the respect of the team.”

Create a culture of engagement

Perhaps the best way to combat disengagement is to try to prevent it in the first place. You can accomplish this by making sure your employees know what the company is working toward and how they contribute—and why it all matters. “The root cause of disengagement is misalignment between the individual’s values and the corporation’s core values,” says Sergei Brovkin, an executive coach and facilitator with Collectiver. “If the employee’s core values are misaligned with the company values, whether declared or implicit, make the person available to the job market. Letting go is not a bad thing if a person is a good specialist: he or she will find a more engaging job elsewhere. Keeping a toxic person (and that’s what disengaged people really are) in the company because of some special talents is usually a bad idea, especially if the company is small.”

Communication is critical, too. “Poor communication impacts employee engagement by making team members feel removed from decisions and devoid of any sense of ownership,” says Carlos Castelán, managing director of The Navio Group. “In many ways, poor communication, or a lack of communication, is worse than conflict because it signals to someone that they’re not valued enough to be included. Poor communication can lead to role ambiguity as well as heightened stress because of a lack of feedback, which ultimately leads to talent drain or other symptoms of low engagement.”

Create a culture of truth-telling, says Jim Haudan, co-founder and chairman of Root Inc., and Rich Berens, Root’s CEO. The co-authors of What Are Your Blind Spots? also caution managers not to assume people will share their real opinions. “Often, people don’t think it’s safe to share their thoughts with leaders, and so they whisper in the halls and commiserate during happy hours. This is an engagement killer. Welcome honesty, ask for real feedback and work together to make adjustments so everyone feels a part of the decision-making and is on board with the plan. That’s how you create true engagement.”

“It has become increasingly important for employers to find ways to engage and show appreciation for their team members, particularly against the backdrop of one of the hottest job markets in recent memory,” says Castelán. He says businesses can show appreciation through an empathetic approach in their culture and recognizing employees for a job well done. “Critical to being empathetic is updating work policies that reflect the changing nature of work such as flexible work schedules and, for example, allowing work from home. Building a work culture that reflects an understanding of the realities of the modern age is important to attracting the best talent.”

“On the recognition side, providing regular feedback to employees—particularly stars—and then showing gratitude via recognition is important,” Castelán says. “Recognition should be done in a way that’s memorable or unique versus a blanket approach like a generic plaque. Employees want to feel unique and valued, so thinking through recognition that is personalized is important.”

How do you create a culture of engagement at your company? Join the conversation on @CT_Innovate.

---

 A Five-Step Plan for Turning Around an Employee Who’s Disengaged

1. Address the underlying issue. At the heart of disengagement is an underlying issue that is allowing the employee to feel this way. We look to have open, transparent conversations with all employees to address their satisfaction and engagement with what we do.
2. Formulate a plan. The next step is to work directly with the employee to set up a plan of action. Find topics and projects that truly interest the employee. We push to have the disengaged employee become an active member in projects they are passionate about.
3. Remove barriers to unhappiness. All disengaged employees are unhappy about something, so we look to see what external stressors are influencing the employee’s mood. Whether it’s their commute, their feelings of being overworked or a personal issue, we try to work with them to ease those external influences.
4. Encourage happiness. It sounds cheesy, but we push our employees to engage in happy, relaxing activities. Whether it’s a 30-minute walk outside or a weekly lunch provided by the company, we try to give all our employees something to look forward to.
5. Show direct impact. The last, but most important, step is to show impact. Disengaged employees may not [recognize] the impact of their work, so we show them how their work and actions influence the larger picture and provide value to our users.

—Robert Moses, founder of The Corporate Con/noisseur