Shopping for Engagement: Cyber Monday’s Management Lessons

For decades, Black Friday has been a hot media topic every November. The biggest shopping day of the year has evolved into a weekend of jaw-dropping sales, shoppers camped out in sleeping bags, and crowds shoving their way to deeply discounted wares.

I won’t even go there.

But what about Cyber Monday, Black Friday’s younger cousin with a twist? Coined by marketers to encourage online shopping, the term “Cyber Monday” quickly became to online retailers what Black Friday had long been to the brick-and-mortar set: the biggest (online) shopping day of the year.

For you online retailers out there, this is a happy story. But for you business leaders (online retailers included), I’m afraid this leaves you with a challenge to ponder over your turkey: last year, half your employees planned to do online holiday shopping from the office.

So this must be a call to arms, right? Haul out the policing software, block the computers, announce a policy?

No. Not at all. The solution starts with a better understanding of the problem.

The issue here is not online shopping at the office. That’s just the symptom. The issue is lack of engagement.

Employed vs. Engaged

When people are employed, they show up for work. When they’re engaged, they think about business solutions wherever they are.

When people are employed, they follow office rules. When they’re engaged, they ignore the clock and dive in.

When people are employed, they shop on company time. When they’re engaged, they think about ways to get your customers shopping.

So how about a different approach?

The next time your HR “police” or some other enforcers come to you with ideas to impose internet rules, monitor employee compliance, or implement new policies and procedures to “keep people in line,” challenge them with this:

“I’d like you to come to me with 3 new ideas to enhance peoples’ engagement.”

There’s some added value.

The Good News

My friend, your people want to be engaged, involved, and lit up with what they do each day. They want to be part of a significant vision. And they want to be trusted to carry the ball.

They don’t want to shop. They want to soar.