Post Topics
Book Summaries
Post Archives
- February 2019
- January 2019
- November 2018
- October 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
Poll
Organizational Excellence : Employee Engagement: Having a Great Day at Work
Think about the last time you had a great day at work. What made it great? I like to think that when you have a great day at work, then you've had an engaged day at work. Studies and surveys show, however, that in the U.S., employee engagement is low; with only about 2 in 3 employees being engaged at work. That means that one-third of us (gulp!) are either not engaged or are actively disengaged. Far too few workers in the U.S. are having predominantly great days at work.
BlessingWhite (a Division of GP Strategies) views that an engaged organization is one where employees reach maximum job satisfaction while at the same time make a significant contribution to the goals of their team and the organization as a whole. True engagement happens when there is a mutually beneficial relationship between the organization and the employee, an alignment between what the organization needs (maximum contribution) and what their employees want (maximum satisfaction).
So, what does high employee engagement look like?
Engaged employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. It is a deep sense of ownership for the organization and strong feelings of involvement, commitment, and absorption in one's work...which is motivating. It involves a strong contribution of discretionary energy, which translates into productivity...and results in improved personal and business performance.
Engagement drivers for employees include:
- Senior leaders that create a high-performing work environment
- Strategic alignment
- Opportunities to improve skills and capabilities
- A good relationship with their supervisor
- Senior management that is interested in employee well-being
- An organization's reputation for social responsibility
- Perception of fair pay
- Career advancement opportunities
- An environment that encourages innovative thinking
On the other hand, employees who are not engaged are essentially "checked out." They're sleepwalking through their workday, putting time - but not energy or passion - into their work.
Even worse, actively disengaged employees aren't just unhappy at work; they're busy acting out their unhappiness. Every day, these workers undermine what their engaged coworkers accomplish.
Signs or symptoms of low employee engagement include:
- Job / role confusion
- Low initiative; lack of willingness to "go the extra mile"
- Confusion regarding organizational mission, objectives
- Lots of activity but minimal results, contribution
- Job stagnation (whether real or perceived)
- Poor relationships at work
- Distrust of management
- Negative (toxic?) attitude - behaviors, complaining
- Acting unprofessional with vendors, customers, co-workers
- Looking for employment opportunities elsewhere
When it comes to employee engagement, leaders need to focus on their daily actions - how they "show up," inspire, communicate, and connect with the workforce. They need to, for example:
- Ensure that there exists a clear vision and strategic direction, which employees understand and buy-in to;
- Set great examples by "living" the core values of the company, recognizing and rewarding attitudes and behaviors that are consistent with the core values, and addressing those that aren't;
- Understand employees' values, passions, skills, personal goals and career aspirations; and
- Help every, single employee make the connection between what is important to them personally and how they can best contribute to the goals of the company.
Employee engagement isn't some fuzzy, feel-good concept that only HR professionals need to focus on. Leaders need to embrace the importance of high employee engagement and understand its connection to business performance, otherwise the long-term sustainability of the organization could be severely impacted. But it's not just up to the leaders...we all have a role in helping one another have a lot more great days at work!
Tags: Leadership, motivation, employee engagement, leaders