Four Proven Approaches that Drive Employee Engagement
Rooting for a favorite sports team. Becoming absorbed in a captivating play. Getting immersed in conversation with a long-time friend. These are some of the best examples of where and when people are truly engaged.
So why doesn’t this happen at work? And does it matter to an organization if their people aren’t engaged? Absolutely! When employees are truly engaged, they put in extra effort that goes beyond their job description. Engaged employees go the extra mile, contributing passionately and purposefully to their business.
Companies with higher levels of engagement perform significantly better. So as a leader, you can’t ignore engagement levels. If you feel your people can and should be giving you more of their best, spend less time worrying about compensation and flextime, and more time doing the things that truly drive innovative results.
Real engagement is multi-dimensional and can be effortless, natural, and magnetic. Working with large, multi-dimensional organizations over the last year 30 years, four proven approaches that truly drive powerful employee engagement have emerged. These approaches frame employees as customers and see engagement through the eyes of the people we serve as leaders. They help people feel enthralled, drawn in, and connected in a compelling and sustained way to the work that they do. They quickly become the foundation, or roots, for engaging your people.
1. Rally people to feel they are a part of something big.
Who isn’t interested in being a part of something that’s bigger than them? It’s evident in the way concertgoers act as one, connecting with hundreds of people they’ve never met in order to create a force far bigger than they could achieve by themselves. And, by association, they feel like they’re part of a bigger group or eff ort, a piece of something more substantial and significant than they could ever be alone. When this happens, it changes their perspective and a feeling that affords a sense of substance, importance, pride, and direction.
Just think of the millions of people around the world who dumped ice water on their heads, raising more than $100 million for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Drawing participation from children and adults, celebrities and political figures, the runaway success of this fundraising campaign grew exponentially with each person who accepted the challenge to connect to something larger than themselves.
If you only remember one thing from this article it’s this: It’s literally impossible to get people in any organization to think big if they’re constantly asked to “just do their job.” They must understand the big-picture workings of the business and the overall purpose it serves. Both of these contexts help people realize that what they can achieve with others is greater than what they could achieve alone. And this is where you capture people’s hearts and minds, where you see them give you their discretionary eff ort instead of just getting by.
2. Give people a sense of belonging.
When people are truly engaged, it’s because they believe they belong. They have a sense of meaning or validation when they feel they are valued, that their contributions matter and their involvement makes a difference. It’s association and connection. With it, they can go forward together because they have something in common. Many people find this type of belonging through hobbies, sports, or religion, for example.
Why doesn’t this happen easily or regularly? Because in many companies managers and frontline associates don’t see where they belong – where they “fit” in executing the strategy of the business. They may initially (and energetically) offer opinions and ideas; but if and when their thoughts are ignored or disregarded, they slip into indifference. This can be a problem even more dangerous than disengagement if left unchecked.
You must give employees a forum to express their own ideas. Ask questions. Dig deeper. Hear what they have to offer. When leaders show respect and interest in this way, people feel valued and connected. And you may learn something new or develop a new approach to success. Most importantly, your people see themselves as belonging to the process of driving change. That’s energizing and game changing! They clearly know they are a member of the team for the future.
3. Take your people on a meaningful journey.
Everyone wants to create something that doesn’t exist right now. Nobody wants to sum up a lifetime by saying, “I did one hell of a job maintaining what was already there.” We all want to be on some kind of enticing adventure in this life.
With forward motion, there’s excitement, pioneering, discovery – and a sense of accomplishment that comes from achieving something that matters. It’s more than attractive; it’s downright heady. It’s the part of the human spirit that suggests we can be more, that we are more. It’s a spirit of creating, building, and finding a better way. Our journey is both a challenge and an opportunity that compels us to take risks and makes overcoming the barriers worth the effort.
In an organization, that shared journey is the ongoing execution of a strategy – a compelling adventure. A meaningful strategy captures a sense of purpose, of doing something together that is worth the eff ort. It creates energy and unites people in the pursuit of outstanding achievement.
Taking people on a meaningful journey is a far cry from the jargon and rhetoric frequently heard in company strategy presentations today. Employees don’t want to hear buzzwords; they want to know what they’re up against, where they stand, and how the team can accomplish the goal. When they understand the challenges of the quest, they won’t have to be coerced to be engaged. The natural human drive that we can achieve in the face of adversity will prevail.
4. Show people their contributions make a difference.
People want to be authors of new stories, to know that what they do makes a difference (big and small) in the lives of other people. This applies to all other areas of life, as well as to business. “If I’m there, I’m part of the story. It’s different because of me.”
If you’ve ever seen the midday parade down Main Street at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, you may have witnessed some of Disney’s senior leadership disguised as Donald Duck or Captain Hook. Whenever new executives join the staff at the Magic Kingdom, they’re required to participate in the parade. The reason: to see firsthand how what they do is reflected in the eyes of children. The organization wants to impress upon new executives that there is a direct connection between their daily work and the magic they create for people.
Engaged people feel that whatever they’re doing is unquestionably connected to making a difference in the lives of other people. While most companies are not in the magic business like Disney is, the philosophy is still applicable. When you help your people see how their actions impact your customers, their colleagues, and your business, they’ll be motivated to want more and do more.
Consider your most important strategic initiatives. As you engage people to execute these initiatives, make sure they understand:
- The big picture of what they do each day
- They truly belong
- They’re on a meaningful adventure
- Their contributions make a significant difference
You can plan and communicate your vision and strategy, but strategy without execution is meaningless and execution without engaged people is impossible. These four “Roots of
Engagement” will help you transform your goals into the experiences your people need to give your business the very best of their heads, hearts, and hands.
Looking for more employee engagement tips? Look no further.
