The Homeowner’s Guide to Budgeting for Maintenance Costs
By Kraig Kleeman
Founder & CEO, The New Workforce
In today’s ultra-competitive business environment, talent is currency—and keeping that talent engaged is non-negotiable.
I’ve led companies from zero to $30 million in sales in under four years and am now scaling The New Workforce with triple-digit quarterly growth. So trust me when I say: your culture is either your superpower or your silent saboteur. Employee engagement isn’t just a checkbox on the HR dashboard. It’s the heartbeat of a thriving organization.
The modern workplace has evolved. Remote teams, hybrid schedules, AI-powered tools, and a workforce that values purpose over just a paycheck—it’s a whole new arena. And in this arena, the companies that win are the ones that connect with their teams on a human level while still delivering operational excellence.
Let’s talk about how you can unlock next-level employee engagement—not with gimmicks or generic advice, but with strategies that actually move the needle.
1. Redefine Leadership as Performance Art
Leadership isn’t about barking orders or being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about presence, energy, and authenticity. Much like a rockstar commands a stage, a modern leader commands trust, vision, and momentum.
Engagement starts at the top. If your team isn’t fired up about the company’s mission, look in the mirror. Are you bringing passion to meetings? Are you communicating with clarity and conviction? Are you demonstrating that you care?
People don’t just follow ideas—they follow energy. When you show up with intensity and purpose, your team will, too.
2. Design a Culture, Don’t Just Inherit One
Every organization already has a culture. The question is—was it crafted intentionally, or did it just happen?
An engaged team operates within a culture where expectations are clear, values are lived out daily, and people feel seen. Don’t leave this to chance. Design your culture like a product—something that solves problems and adds value.
Start by identifying your core values—not buzzwords, but actual behaviors you reward. Then embed those into hiring, onboarding, feedback loops, and even how you celebrate wins.
Culture is the invisible architecture of engagement. Make sure yours is worth rallying around.
3. Unleash Autonomy Without Sacrificing Accountability
Micromanagement is the fastest route to disengagement. High performers don’t want a babysitter—they want ownership.
That said, autonomy without direction leads to chaos. The key is to build a framework that empowers while guiding.
Think of it like jazz: there’s structure, but within it, there’s freedom to riff, innovate, and create. Your job as a leader is to set the tempo, define the key, and then let your team improvise within that structure.
Use OKRs or KPI-driven models to keep goals transparent and progress measurable, but let your people own how they get there. Empowered employees are engaged employees.
4. Turn Feedback Into Fuel
Too many companies treat feedback like a fire extinguisher—something you use only in emergencies. But the best cultures treat feedback like oxygen. It flows constantly. It sustains growth.
Real-time feedback is 10x more effective than annual reviews. And it goes both ways. Create an environment where managers give actionable insights regularly, and employees feel safe sharing upward feedback without fear.
Make feedback part of your daily rhythm. One-on-ones shouldn’t be robotic check-ins; they should be strategic conversations. Celebrate wins, course-correct early, and always, always listen more than you speak.
5. Invest in Growth—Because Stagnation Kills Engagement
People don’t leave jobs. They leave environments that no longer challenge or inspire them.
One of the highest-leverage moves you can make is to build a culture of continuous learning. Whether it’s leadership training, mentorship programs, upskilling through online platforms, or stretch assignments that push people outside their comfort zones—growth is magnetic.
Show your team you’re willing to invest in them, and they’ll invest back into your mission with double the energy.
Pro tip: Tie professional development to business outcomes. When people see how their growth fuels company success, engagement skyrockets.
6. Make Purpose the North Star
The modern worker wants to know why they’re doing the work, not just what they’re doing.
Mission statements on posters won’t cut it. Purpose needs to be lived, not laminated.
At The New Workforce, we don’t just talk about disrupting how the world works—we live it in our daily execution, hiring strategy, and client impact. Purpose isn’t a paragraph on the About Us page; it’s the engine behind every decision.
Help your team connect the dots between their role and the bigger picture. Remind them that their contributions matter. Because when people find meaning in their work, they don’t just show up—they show out.
7. Celebrate Progress Like You Celebrate Profits
Wins, no matter how small, deserve recognition. Progress is a powerful motivator—but only when it’s noticed.
Public praise, spontaneous shoutouts, and milestone celebrations create momentum. They communicate that you see your people, and you appreciate their grind.
Too often, companies only celebrate outcomes. But if you want sustained engagement, start honoring the process. Celebrate innovation, effort, resilience, collaboration. These are the building blocks of long-term performance.
Remember, what gets celebrated gets repeated.
8. Use Tech to Humanize, Not Just Optimize
We live in a time where AI and automation can streamline everything—but that doesn’t mean your culture should feel robotic.
Tech should amplify humanity, not replace it.
Use collaboration tools to break down silos, not build digital walls. Use AI to reduce admin load so teams can spend more time on high-impact work. Use analytics to identify disengagement trends before they become turnover issues.
But don’t forget to keep human connection front and center. A Slack message can’t replace a genuine conversation. A Zoom call is not a substitute for authentic presence. Balance is everything.
9. Lead With Radical Clarity
Ambiguity is the enemy of engagement.
Employees crave clarity—on expectations, on goals, on how success is defined. They want to know how decisions are made and where the company is going.
Be as transparent as possible. Over-communicate priorities. Reiterate vision often. And make sure your managers are aligned, too. Mixed signals from leadership create frustration and disengagement fast.
Radical clarity builds trust. And trust builds commitment.
Final Thoughts
Engagement is not about gimmicks. It’s not ping-pong tables, free snacks, or dress-down Fridays. It’s about creating an environment where people want to show up, where they feel valued, and where their work matters.
At The New Workforce, we’ve seen firsthand that when engagement is high, performance follows. Retention improves. Innovation accelerates. Culture becomes a competitive advantage.
So here’s the charge: Don’t settle for lukewarm. Be bold. Be intentional. Build a workplace where engagement is not an initiative—it’s a way of life.
Because in today’s world, the companies that thrive aren’t just the ones with the best ideas—they’re the ones with the most committed teams.
And if you can get that right, everything else becomes electric.
About Kraig Kleeman
Kraig Kleeman is a highly successful entrepreneur, author, and showrunner. If his accomplishments and aspirations were to draw inspiration from natural icons, he could be described as a fusion of Elon Musk’s visionary approach to business and Mick Jagger’s electrifying stage presence. He possesses keen business acumen and a flair for captivating performances that awe audiences.
Kraig’s entrepreneurial spirit is boundless, as evidenced by his track record of founding a tech company and taking it from nothing to $30 million in sales, in less than four years. His newest venture, CEO Branding Worldwide, is growing by triple digits, quarter over quarter. While some may liken his abilities to a Midas touch, others prefer to think of it as transforming companies into profitable ventures instead of turning things into gold!
