"I'm just going to sit there!" was how my 5-year-old daughter reacted when she saw receptionist in one of my earlier organization. While that line will generate a smile from understanding adults, it would produce a grimace if it were uttered by one of your employees. Yet so often many employees feel the same as my daughter, clueless about why they do what they do.
This ignorance does not stem from lack of employee intelligence; it emerges from a lack of employer intelligence. No one has taken the time to explain the how an individual's job complements the work of the team, the department and the organisation. Yet the more employees know, the more likely they are to buy into the corporate vision and mission. We call it engagement. Accenture did a global study in 2006 of more than 4,000 employees; nearly 60% of those surveyed asked for two things: challenge and recognition. Here are three suggestions to deliver it.
Explain the big picture. Senior leaders are privy to what their company does and how what they do impacts the lives of stakeholders - customers, employees and shareholders. Most other employees do not know this information unless they take the time to read all of the company's communications collateral. And even then it is vague. Management must talk up what the company does and how it affects people's lives
Communicate. Keep employees in the loop about what is going on. Take time to discuss what is going right as well as what needs to improve. Invite employees contribute suggestions for improvement. Create loops of feedback so people can see how their suggestions are implemented. Management is under no obligation to implement every suggestion from every employee, but keeping people apprised of the status of their suggestions is critical.
Celebrate. When you achieve a milestone, mark it. This is especially important during long and difficult initiatives, especially those about new products, services or even organizational transformation. By establishing milestones and recognizing them you give people a sense of progress.
Engagement is critical asset that organization possesses. Not only does buy-in help you get the work done, it also becomes your extra edge during crunch time. When you need extra help to meet deadlines or work with diminished resources, engaged employees are more likely to pitch in and make things happen. Taking the time to discuss the whys and wherefores of the job will position you and your team to succeed in good times as well as bad.
What are you doing at your company to strengthen employee engagement?
