How to Demonstrate the Benefits of Community Development to C-Level using Viva Engage

Three ways you can leverage Viva Engage to show, not tell, C-Level executives that the investment is worth the benefits!

Microsoft Viva Engage helps leaders create and sustain a culture of engagement and innovation in their organizations. However, the ways it can impact business outcomes and strategy can sometimes feel like a good idea on paper, but when you consider the implementation and adoption costs, your CFO might be quick to bring up ROI.

Yes! Viva Engage enables leaders to connect with their employees, recognize their contributions, empower them to share their ideas and feedback, but how do you transform that into accountable results that benefit internal comms, and drives the success of the organization?

In this blog, we will share three actionable tips and best practices for using Viva Engage that will put C-Level executives at ease.  

Information at the Source with AMA

Front-line workers have a wealth of information often inaccessible or inorganically sourced. For example, when you ask someone how they’re doing, they usually say something along the lines of, “Great,” or “Can’t Complain,” but that’s probably not the reality of the situation. Even if they are doing well, the reality is ALWAYS more nuanced.

Much like the polite auto-response, surveys, without the correct personal motivation or objective, result in the same type of information and are never as nuanced as reactive critique. The only way to make positive change is through  opening up the floor and encouraging real conversations with real impact.  

That’s why one of the features of Viva Engage is the ability to host AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions, where leaders can answer questions from their employees in real time. AMA sessions are a great way to foster communication and collaboration, facilitate transparency and trust, and  create a dedicated platform where employees can freely express their thoughts, offer suggestions and raise concerns.

Here are some of the benefits of AMA sessions:

• Communication and collaboration: AMA sessions allow leaders to communicate their vision, goals, and priorities to their employees, and to listen to employees perspectives, insights, and suggestions. This creates a two-way dialogue that fosters a sense of alignment and collaboration across the organization. ‍
• Transparency and trust: AMA sessions enable leaders to be open and honest with their employees, and to address any concerns or issues that they may have. This builds trust and credibility, and encourages employees to be more transparent and accountable. ‍
• Discover potential issues at the source: AMA sessions provide an opportunity for leaders to hear out first-line workers and employees in all roles to help identify issues before they occur with real-world, boots on the ground knowledge. Combining the vision of leaders with the hands-on knowledge of workers drives organizational success. This boosts morale and motivation, and increases engagement and loyalty.

An example of a company that uses AMA sessions effectively is Microsoft itself. Microsoft hosts regular AMA sessions with its CEO, Satya Nadella, and other senior leaders, where they answer questions from employees around the world. These sessions help Microsoft foster a culture of innovation and inclusion, and inspire and empower its employees to achieve more.

Running Contests and Challenges

Another way Viva Engage can impact the business is by running contests and challenges within the app, where leaders can invite their employees to submit their ideas and solutions for a specific problem or opportunity. Employees play a pivotal role in the organization bering valuable insights on topics such as safety, innovation and customer success, creating a vital feedback loop that enhances the company’s operations and strategies. Contests and challenges are a great way to foster innovation and recognition, and to improve customer satisfaction and business outcomes.  

Here are some of the benefits of contests and challenges:

• Innovation and recognition: Contests and challenges stimulate creativity and innovation, and encourage employees to think outside the box and come up with new and better ways of doing things. They also provide a platform for employees to showcase their talents and skills, and to receive recognition and rewards for their efforts.  ‍
• Customer satisfaction and business outcomes: Contests and challenges help leaders to identify and solve customer problems, and to create value for their customers. They also help leaders to achieve their business goals, and to measure and improve their performance.

An example of a company that uses contests and challenges effectively is Starbucks. Starbucks runs regular contests and challenges with its employees, where they can submit their ideas for new products, services, or initiatives. These contests and challenges help Starbucks to innovate and differentiate itself in the market, and to engage and retain its employees.

Keeping Employees Committed and Engaged

The third way it helps businesses thrive is the ability to keep employee engagement by providing them with personalized and relevant content, feedback, and insights.  

Viva Engage helps leaders keep their employees informed, inspired, and involved, and to create a positive, productive but also relaxed and fun work environment.  

Here are some tips for using Viva Engage to improve employee engagement:

• Informed: Viva Engage allows leaders to keep their employees informed about the latest news, updates, and events in the organization, and to share relevant and useful information and resources with them. This helps employees to stay on top of their work, and to learn and grow. ‍
• Inspired: Viva Engage helps leaders to keep their employees inspired by sharing stories, videos, and podcasts that showcase the impact and value of their work, and by highlighting the best practices and success stories of their peers and role models. This helps employees to feel proud and passionate about their work, and to aspire for excellence. ‍
• Involved: Viva Engage helps leaders to keep their employees involved by soliciting their feedback and opinions, and by involving them in decision making and problem solving. This helps employees to feel valued and respected, and to have a sense of ownership and empowerment.

Many of our clients use Viva Engage to keep their employees connected, motivated, and supported, and to create a culture of learning and collaboration. They also use Viva Engage to measure and improve their employee engagement, and to drive business performance and growth.

The Proof Is in the Power of Community

Viva Engage is a powerful tool that helps leaders to create and sustain a culture of employee engagement and innovation in their organizations. By using Viva Engage, leaders can connect with their employees, recognize their contributions, and empower them to share their ideas and feedback. In this blog, we shared 3 practical tips and best practices for using Viva Engage to benefit leaders and their organizations:

• Information at the Source with AMA
• Running Contests and Challenges
• Keeping Employees Committed and Engaged

We encourage you to try out these tips in your own organization, and to see how Viva Engage can help you to achieve more.  

Need help? We have a team of seasoned IT professionals, trusted by Microsoft themselves to help companies across their solution stack.

Why You Need the Intranet Launch Toolkit

Our Intranet Launch Readiness Toolkit is a comprehensive resource designed to streamline the process of launching your intranet. We've even added a section outlining the strategies to consider when implementing the Viva Connections & Communities Suite into your intranet. Here’s why you should download it:

• Streamlined Process: Clear roadmap reduces complexity and ensures no steps are missed.
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• Improved Productivity: Structured content and communication boost employee productivity.
  

From planning to execution, this kit equips you with the essential tools and insights needed to successfully deploy an intranet platform that drives collaboration, communication, and productivity across your workforce. Download the Intranet Readiness Kit today and pave the way for a seamless intranet experience.