Summary

Engagement isn’t a tactic. It’s what your culture produces when things are working. In this companion post to our podcast episode, we go deeper into the leadership shifts that make engagement sustainable: better communication, more meaningful recognition, and systems that centre people, not just performance.

If you’re building a team in WordPress, there’s a good chance you’re doing it remotely. That means connection doesn’t happen around water coolers. Recognition isn’t a tap on the shoulder. And engagement? It can’t be left to chance.

In our latest Future of Team podcast episode, Dee and I unpacked what employee engagement really means and what it doesn’t. Here’s the deeper thread that emerged: Engagement isn’t a tool or a tactic. It’s the cumulative effect of every decision we make as leaders.

So let’s go beyond the checkbox. Below are a few reflections and provocations to help you rethink how engagement shows up in your team.

Data Is a Mirror, Not a Report Card

Many teams fear running engagement surveys because they think the data will make them look bad. But in reality, the most valuable thing a culture survey gives you is a way forward.

At Future of Team, we use the Culture Compass, a customizable engagement survey built around our 8 principles. And the goal isn’t to diagnose a toxic workplace. It’s to understand where your people are now so you can walk with them to what’s next.

If you’re avoiding engagement surveys because you think they’re only useful when something is broken, you’re missing the point. They’re actually most powerful when used as a tool for momentum.

Try this: Instead of asking “What score did we get?”, ask “What’s the one area we’re ready to grow in next?”

Motivation Is Personal and Cultural

In the episode, Dee shared a powerful reminder: Recognition isn’t just about praise. It’s about knowing someone sees you.

That stuck with me. Because what’s often framed as a performance management issue is really a culture issue. Do people feel like their work matters? Do they trust that their effort is noticed? Do they believe they have a future here?

If not, no amount of quarterly reviews or “thanks for your hard work” Slack messages will fix it.

The shift? Intentional recognition isn’t about broadcasting applause. It’s about building a system where noticing is a leadership habit, not a happy accident.

Engagement Falls Apart When Communication Does

One of the easiest ways to lose engagement (especially in remote teams) is to let communication turn into guesswork. If people don’t know what decisions are being made, why they’re being made, or what’s changing, they will fill in the blanks.

And spoiler: their assumptions are almost always worse than the truth.

Asynchronous transparency doesn’t have to be fancy. A Friday Slack note. A monthly Loom. A living document that tracks OKRs. All of these build psychological safety, which is the foundation of every strong team.

What to watch for: Are team members repeating questions that should be answered in your existing comms? That’s a sign your clarity isn’t landing.

Culture Without Connection Is Just Policy

In the episode, we talked about the tension between task and relationship. And I confessed: I lean task. But I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that if we don’t make time to connect, the work suffers.

The best remote teams don’t leave connection to chance. They systematise it: intentional one-on-ones, buddy programs, team rituals, async celebrations.

Ask yourself: If someone new joined your team today, would they feel known before they felt productive?

If not, that’s your engagement strategy right there.

You Don’t Need to Do It All—But You Do Need to Care

One of the cheekier takeaways we mentioned was: If you’re trying to tick the engagement box, you’re doing it wrong.

The truth is, no tool, ours or anyone else’s, can make your team feel engaged if your leadership doesn’t care.

But if you do care, we’re here to help. Start with the Culture Audit. Or run a low-lift engagement pulse with the Culture Compass. Or just grab a coffee with someone on your team and ask, “What’s one thing you’d change if you could?”

The point is to start. And then to keep going.

TL;DR

• Engagement isn’t a survey result—it’s a cultural pulse check.
• Recognition only works when it’s meaningful and real.
• Communication builds safety; silence creates spin.
• Human connection is an input to performance, not a distraction from it.
• Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for progress.