The other day, I overheard a group of managers talking about employee engagement.
The conversation started the way these conversations often do:
“Maybe we should do a BBQ.” “What about a potluck competition?” “Maybe a chili cook-off?” “What if we did more team-building events?”
As the ideas kept coming, the conversation shifted. They started talking about past events and how some had been successful while others just didn’t seem to land. And I had to bite my tongue. Not because the ideas were bad. I actually liked most of them.
I wanted to jump in because I was pretty sure they were focused on the wrong question.
The Event Isn’t Usually the Problem
When an employee event falls flat, our first instinct is often to look at the event itself. Maybe it was the wrong activity.
Maybe attendance was low.
Maybe people weren’t interested.
Maybe next time we need more food.
(For the record, someone always suggests more food.)
But what if the event wasn’t the issue?
What if employees are telling us something bigger?
Employee Engagement Isn’t a Quarterly Event
We sometimes treat engagement as something we can schedule on a calendar.
Pick a date. Order lunch. Send an invitation. Boost morale.
If only it were that easy.
The truth is that engagement is built every day through hundreds of small interactions.
It’s built when managers communicate clearly.
When employees feel respected.
When concerns are addressed.
When people receive recognition.
When leadership follows through on commitments.
A BBQ can create a fun afternoon.
A supportive manager can create an engaged employee.
Those two things are not the same.
What Employees Actually Remember
Think about what employees talk about after work.
It’s usually not:
“The burgers were amazing.”
It’s more likely:
“My manager really listened today.”
Or:
“Leadership finally addressed that issue we’ve been talking about.”
Or unfortunately:
“Nobody seems to care what’s happening in our department.”
Employees remember how they feel long after they forget what was on the menu.
Keep the BBQ
Now, before anyone thinks I’m declaring war on company picnics, let’s be clear.
Keep the BBQ.
Keep the potluck.
Keep the chili cook-off.
Employee events absolutely have value. They help people connect, laugh, and build relationships.
Just don’t confuse employee activities with employee engagement.
A company culture can’t be catered.
Trust can’t be raffled off.
And no amount of pulled pork can fix poor leadership.
Final Thoughts
As I listened to those managers wondering why some events didn’t land, the question that kept running through my mind was:
What happened before the event?
Did employees feel heard?
Did they feel valued?
Did they trust their leaders?
Did they feel connected to their work and their team?
Because if those things are missing, the problem probably isn’t the BBQ.
The best employee engagement strategy isn’t found in the catering menu.
It’s found in the everyday experience employees have when they come to work.
And if you get that part right, the BBQ becomes what it was always meant to be: a celebration, not a solution. đ