Brought to you by Jeff Thoren, DVM  

The good news ...

Passion.  Commitment.  Extra effort.  These terms describe engaged workers.  Engaged workers are individuals who produce positive outcomes, accomplish more, and speak positively about their organizations.  Engagement is an amalgamation of commitment, loyalty, productivity and ownership.  Companies or business units with highly engaged employees experience a significant decrease in the number of quality complaints, have lower turnover and are 52% more likely to grow their top line.  If your organization has it, things are good -- very good!

The bad news ...

A minority of global workers are passionate about and engaged in their work.  Depending on the study cited, only 13% to 28% of employees are highly passionate about their jobs and their organizations!  The costs associated with these low levels of engagement are staggering. 

“Every company has a culture.  It may not be working for you, but one does exist.  It comes from within and it takes time to create.”  -- Barbara Anderson, Director of Culture and Education for The Container Store

Here’s this month’s feature ...

Creating a Culture for Engagement -- by Rick Wellins & Jim Concelman

From -- Workforce Performance Solutions, April 2005

Highlights from the article:

A Model for Engagement.  A culture that encourages engagement can move a business forward.  To create this kind of culture, make sure that each of the following practices is present to a “high degree” in your workplace and implement an employee engagement survey so you can determine where there are deficiencies that need addressing.

• Align Efforts with Strategy.  Everyone has a clear understanding of what is expected and receive timely information about changes that affect their work.

• Empowerment.  Individuals are given authority to make decisions and manage their own work.

• Teamwork.  There is a high degree of cooperation within a workgroup, and an environment of trusting and trustworthy actions that foster rapid and satisfying resolution of conflicts.

• Collaboration.  There is excellent cooperation between workgroups that fosters common goals.

• Development Plans.  People have the opportunity and encouragement to develop on the job.

• Support and Recognition.  Individuals get ongoing feedback on performance and are valued for their unique ideas, strengths, and contribution.

Driving Engagement: The Leader’s Role.  While multiple factors influence worker engagement, the most influential factor is the quality of leadership; how people feel about their leaders is often synonymous with how they feel about their jobs and the organization as a whole.  Six characteristics define high-engagement leaders:

1. They Have a Passion to Lead.  Disengaged leaders can’t inspire passion and commitment in others.

2. They Select for Fit.  People are more likely to be engaged in jobs that fit what they can and want to do well.  In one survey, 89% of cases of job failure were attributed to an individual’s poor fit with the job and/or the work culture!

3. They Make the Connections.  There is a strong relationship between engagement and the degree to which employees see how their roles and their work relate to the overall strategic direction of the organization.  Great leaders constantly connect employee goals and accomplishments to the broader goals and values of the organization through communication and recognition.

4. They Promote Accountability.  Setting clear expectations is essential.  Those expectations should focus both on the “whats” (quantitative goals) and the “hows” (behaviors and skills required to achieve the goals while living the organization’s values).

5. They Develop Their Talent.  Most people want to feel like they’re going somewhere, expanding their skills, and experiencing new challenges.  Leaders need to prioritize developing their people.

6. They Recognize the Obvious.  The return on investment for recognizing people’s efforts and accomplishments can be phenomenal.  Leaders who are attuned to their people’s work and who provide day-to-day coaching are in a great position to acknowledge accomplishments and celebrate success in both small and big ways.

For the full text article, go to ...
http://www.ddiworld.com/pdf/wps_engagement_ar.pdf

Consider the Relationship Factor

When good people leave your business, they either take customers with them or put customer loyalty at risk.  According to the Gallup organization, the top three reasons employees leave their jobs are:

1. Lack of faith in the leadership or vision of the company.

2. Concern with the way management is treating people.

3. Lack of management support in areas such as performance reviews and employee development.

Studies about why people leave jobs point directly to how connected people feel at work.  The day-to-day communication between supervisors and direct reports has more impact than any other single factor on employee productivity, quality, morale and retention.  Managers must acknowledge their role in and take responsibility for keeping and motivating talented people.  This means viewing their jobs more broadly and accepting that there are three critical parts of their job:

1. They have their own work to do, meetings to attend, places to go, and projects to complete.

2. The development of people in their current work.

3. Career coaching for future work.

Although the last two areas have the greatest impact on the retention of key talent, they unfortunately are often given short shrift in today’s increasingly busy workplace.  When implemented effectively and consistently, however, development and career coaching build the strong relationships and loyalty that keep people motivated to stay and grow with the organization.

Source: Ken Blanchard’s Ignite! E-Newsletter, July 2005

Next Month

The fundamental components of performance management that help bring out the best in others in the workplace.  It’s not rocket science.

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