Wailing or Engaging?

suzanne.rumsey@knowledgeinfusion.com — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:02:20 GMT

How does your organization keep employees engaged during tough times? There's good evidence that organizations that can keep their employees engaged when the economy takes a dive are those that are most successful in the long run.

Keeping employees engaged is not the same as keeping them satisfied. Engagement drives performance - employees understand where the organization is going and how it is going to get there. They know how they fit into the organization's big picture, and what is expected of them. Unnecessary barriers that inhibit working effectively are removed. Employees are held accountable for their work, and experience the adulation of work well done, as well as the consequences when performance does not meet expectations. Feedback is timely and meaningful. Rewards are comensurate with performance and value contribution. These are the ways to engage employees. Enhanced employee engagement is a critical busienss outcome that drives organizational performance. At Knowledge Infusion, we work with organizations every day on better enabling these outcomes through people, process and technology.

What likely does not work at all, and may indeed backfire? Distributing motivational "stuff": posters, mugs, lunch bags, and other chatzkes. Have you heard of Despair, Inc.? Or "The Wailing List"? I bet your employees have. This is an organization that has made a statement parodying the motivational "stuff" industry. As you can imagine, their website becomes pretty popular in tough economic times. If you see Despair, Inc. "Demotivators" popping up around the office, that may be an indication that all is not well on the engagement front.

The good news about the drivers of employee engagement? Most of those things are behavioral - how leaders and managers do their jobs. And behavior changes don't cost a lot of dollars. Behavior changes do require concerted focus and effort, though. So here's my question: can organizations afford the costs of engagement during rough times? Or maybe the better question is: can organizations afford the costs of non-engagement? Would love to hear your thoughts...

Consultant's Corner

Wailing or Engaging?