Measuring employee engagement is essential for companies that want to perform at their peak. But let’s be clear about one thing: Measurement doesn’t cause engagement. Top-down solutions may produce clarity, but they don’t inspire buy-in or practicality.

Many companies use Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey to measure engagement at the work-group level, which gives them insight into where engagement is strong and where it can improve. But simply measuring engagement will not cause managers or employees to be engaged. Engagement is the result of many factors, including individual and team commitment to improving the workplace.

One proven strategy to increase engagement is action planning, a process that managers and their teams use to make plans and take action based on Gallup’s 12 Elements of Great Managing (Q12). I’ve spoken with hundreds of managers about engagement and action planning, and I’ve found that they ask me these two questions more often than any others: “How do I get my team to buy in to action planning?” and “How do I make it practical?”

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