With summer approaching in many parts of the world, leaders must remember how important it is to promote employee engagement. There are many ways to do this. Amid vacations and trips for many families, employee engagement must be kept at the forefront of your mind to keep your team connected and engaged.

Team-building activities are extremely beneficial in the workplace. Employees are often better communicators after doing these types of activities. They also help their planning skills and motivate them to do a better job. Team members are able to see their coworkers in a different light.

It always feels good to be recognized for something you did. This is especially important to remember as a leader. Recognizing the achievements of your employees often makes them more motivated and often causes them to try harder. It builds them up and encourages them, which is something a leader should always strive to do.

A healthy work-life balance promotes employee engagement. It shows your employees that you care about their home life and not just their life at work. This makes your employees want to do a better job while at work when they know that their time at home is valued and important to you as well.

Humor Break:

Have You Always Wanted A Summer Garden?

Summer is the best time to conquer a fun project like this!

If you know anything about me, you will know that I am not the best when it comes to gardening. However, I do enjoy a beautiful garden. In fact, I often love to visit the Filoli Gardens located out here in the Bay Area. Ok, but I digress....how about my backyard? Well, for me, I would love to find some plants that will need minimal care but will bring color to my backyard :). And so that has been my quest over the last couple of months. I can't say I am there, yet.

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Kristine Jones: Founder of New England Flagger Services

Kristine Jones, founder of New England Flagger Services: Jones is a Latina mother who started New England Flagger Services, a company that provides traffic control services for construction sites.

New England Flagger Services started in 2008 with five employees. The company has grown to nearly 70, serving municipal and private sector clients in Connecticut and New England.

Kristine, a former education instructor, with a Bachelor's Degree in psychology, is lead Flagger Certification and OSHA 10 Instructor. According to her website, "she has deep experience in education, combined with knowledge in behavioral science, and an uncompromising emphasis on safety are what define the philosophy of the company and directs the performance of each employee."

LEADERSHIP RESOURCE: Lighthouse

One of the things I stress to all the leaders that I coach is the fact that you must take time to have 1-on-1 meetings with those that you lead. It is so important because this is how you build relationships. Lighthouse is a software that helps leaders to do just that and they believe that the foundation of a great working relationship is 1-on-1s.

Their website says, "With software that helps you organize all your 1-on-1s in one place and make every conversation meaningful. We’ve studied the best, so you can manage like them."

Sheeba Varghese is a strategic partner for your talent development solutions and the author of Confidence, Clarity & Ease: A Guide For Emerging Leaders To Thrive. Her passion is to inspire and equip men and women to lead with excellence and authenticity within the spheres of influences that they are called to impact in life. The spheres may be in a home, on a team, in a classroom, among partners in a firm, or within management, to name a few.

Senior Leaders and professionals who want to develop stronger leadership skills, have impact and move forward in their careers

Teams who want to work cohesively within their organizations

Coaches who want to renew or apply for certification with ICF

If you want to improve your leadership skills, transition from managing to leading, ensure your team is amazingly successful, increase your own self-awareness and progress your career, or you aspire to be a masterful coach for your clients, then Sheeba would love to support you. She works with clients globally, both face-to-face, phone or by Zoom.

In her time apart from clients, Sheeba enjoys time with her husband, Santosh, and their 2 sons, Sam and Steven. She loves great movies, a good book, decorating and dining at the wonderful restaurants in the Bay Area.