Fans on Three: A Simple Concept for Maximizing Engagement

Engagement is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to thriving organizations. At Positive Leadership, we have a concept that has helped many leaders get a clear picture of engagement on their teams, we call it Fans on Three.

Fans on Three is a tool that captures the essence of engagement without making it personal. It’s all about understanding someone’s current level of engagement and figuring out how to increase it.

The Origin of Fans on Three

This concept was born out of necessity. I found myself in a position of authority as a board president of an organization that was in a bit of trouble and needed a turnaround. I knew exactly where the problem started: the board itself. Many board members were simply not engaged.

I was trying to think of a way to evaluate people’s engagement without making it personal. That’s when the fan metaphor came to me.

Understanding the Fans Metaphor

Start by imagining an electric desktop fan, the kind with multiple settings: Off, One, Two, and Three.

Fans on Three represent team members who are really engaged. They have high output, high energy, and high productivity. These are the people who were showing up and making things happen.

Then there are Fans on Two. They are consistently productive at a good enough level, but they don’t go above and beyond. Usually this level of engagement is just fine. These folks might even have the potential to be Fans on Three at some point, but they’re not consistently at that level.

After that, you have Fans on One. These team members are the ones providing the bare minimum output. They look like they’re spinning, but it’s not at all with the same energy as the Fans on Three. They’re barely participating, and it’s at the expense of everybody else.

Finally, you have the Unplugged Fans. These are folks who are completely disengaged. They don’t show up to meetings at all. They are at the level of zero engagement.

The Value of Fans on Three

Fans on Three are the most valuable resource any organization has. You want to cultivate them, make sure they know how valued they are, and help them grow.

You also want to do what you can to help Fans on One to become Fans on Two and help Fans on Two to become Fans on Three.

The Fan’s Motor = Intrinsic Motivation

In the Fans on Three metaphor, the fan’s motor represents intrinsic motivation. When someone is operating based on extrinsic motivation, their behavior stops when you take away the reward. But with intrinsic motivation, the fan keeps spinning even when no one’s watching.

Using Fans on Three as a Diagnostic Tool

If a Fan is on One, don’t assume that the motor is incapable of being a Fan on Three. Instead, realize that there may be something blocking the fan. Imagine a pen or pencil got stuck in the fan blocking the blade. The motor is working fine, but something is physically blocking the blade from spinning.

In the same way, when a person is operating as a Fan on Two or a Fan on One, there may be a blocker that is preventing them from being more engaged.

These blockers can take many forms, like lack of clarity in role expectations or personal challenges. Identifying and removing these obstacles is often the first step in helping someone move up the engagement scale. If you can help remove this obstacle, you may find the fan suddenly starts spinning faster, so to speak.

The goal is to understand why people’s Fans are on One, Two, or Three. It becomes a way of asking: Where are they? And then, where do I need them to be?

Sometimes, when you move obstacles out of someone’s way, you will see their engagement soar. However, some people may, for whatever reason, be stuck as a Fan on One. They don’t have the intrinsic motivation to be fully engaged, even when any blockers have been removed. In this case, the best thing for your organization would be to replace them with someone who is a Fan on Three.

Implementing Fans on Three

When I first applied this concept, I categorized each board member as a Fan on One, Two, or Three — or an Unplugged Fan.

For the Fans on One and Unplugged Fans, I had a slightly awkward but necessary conversation where I asked them for their board position back so I could give it to someone who was fully engaged — at least until they were in a place where they felt they could be more engaged. I did this privately and as politely as I could.

I knew that having Fans on Three was the driving force for whatever would happen after that. And I was right. The theory proved correct, and it continues to prove correct wherever I go.

Practical Applications

In practice, using the Fans on Three concept involves a few key steps:

Identify: Look at your team or organization and categorize people based on their current level of engagement.

Protect: Once you have identified Fans on Three, protect them. Make sure they know they’re valued and give them opportunities to grow and thrive.

Cultivate: Actively work to move people up the engagement scale. Help Fans on One become Fans on Two, and Fans on Two become Fans on Three.

Diagnose: For those who aren’t at the Fan on Three, try to understand why. What’s blocking their fan from spinning at full speed?

Act: Take steps to remove those blockers by providing additional resources or support. When necessary, reassign roles so that your organization is filled with Fans on Two and Fans on Three.

As you can see, Fans on Three is a powerful and practical tool to help you understand the engagement in your organization. Give it a try next time you need a framework for diagnosing engagement levels on your team. And keep reading here for more insights to help you and your organization progress toward thriving.