Involvement and influence

What you need to know:

In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, employee involvement and influence are crucial factors that can impact the success of an organization. Involvement refers to the level of participation and engagement an employee has both in their job and within their organization.

At Canada Post, we understand the importance of being involved in decision-making processes. We also acknowledge the importance of your ability to affect change or make decisions that impact your work and CPC as a whole.

Click to learn more about the National Standard – Involvement and influence

What you can do:

1.1 Invest your time in improving your performance and well-being:
  • Request feedback from managers and coworkers to help you learn, grow and demonstrate a willingness to improve.
  • Take advantage of training and development opportunities that can help improve your skills and increase your value to the organization.
  • Schedule regular breaks for yourself. This may seem counterintuitive, but regular breaks can help you stay engaged and avoid burnout.
1.2 Consider the following approaches to boost your participation and influence in the work environment:
  • Engage in open dialogue with co-workers and team leaders about what needs to be accomplished and how objectives can be met. This will cultivate a sense of control over your work.
  • Avoid relying solely on electronic communication for important discussions. Instead, have face-to-face interactions to explain the rationale behind decisions and how everyone can benefit the organization and work environment.
  • Regularly prioritize tasks and aid with time management.
  • Foster a culture of responsibility, autonomy and accountability while avoiding micromanagement.
  • Offer suggestion boxes, opinion surveys and regularly share how employee input has been used to encourage participation and feedback.
  • Check out the following survey to better help you deal with change at work: Helping employees to manage change.
  • Facilitate a workshop on psychologically safe interactions using the materials provided. Encourage employees to define the type of work environment that best supports their productivity.
Team leaders can also play a crucial role in cultivating a work environment where employees feel a sense of involvement and influence. Some of these strategies include:
  • Open and transparent communication: Clear communication of goals and expectations, in addition to encouraging open dialogue helps establish a foundation for employee involvement.
  • Regular feedback and input: Conduction performance evaluations and providing constant feedback can encourage employees to feel a sense of influence and increase their contribution to the work environment.
  • Autonomy and empowerment: Granting employees a certain level of autonomy in task-execution and decision making fosters a sense of ownership and involvement.