by Cha Tekeli
Republished from Forbes, January 8, 2018
Of the many skills today’s business leaders must possess, perhaps the most vital is the ability to “read the signs” — to adapt to changes, the future and threats that may affect their business.
Often, these efforts focus on external factors, such as the rapid pace of technology and cybersecurity. Important issues, of course, but what about the “gorilla in the room?”
Today’s leaders are drowning in data, information and technology, all to the end of solving problems in their business. They believe that’s what leadership is. Yet, like the example above, they’re failing to recognize what’s right in front of them: In this case, their employees. Employees who care about their work and understand their role in the success of your enterprise are not just a great asset, they are a critical one. In fact, your business depends on them.
There’s so much research that proves the correlation between engaged employees and astonishing business outcomes. They are higher retention rates, lower recruitment costs and increased productivity, profitability and customer loyalty. In fact, if done right, employee engagement can address these KPIs at the same time.
So if employee engagement yields so many great results, why is corporate America failing miserably at it? The answer is deceptively simple: Too few are putting real money, time and effort behind it. Bottom line (pun intended): As you contemplate the future of your business, it’s worth rethinking how you and your company approach employee engagement.
Employee engagement is not a project. It is not a workshop. It is not a new wellness program or a cool perk (though all that can contribute). It’s not one-size-fits-all. And it doesn’t have an end-date.
Employee engagement is really about individual appreciation. That doesn’t just mean rewarding individuals. It means appreciating employees for exactly who they are, not who you want them to be. Employee engagement programs are supposed to address this but too often don’t. Why?
Because employee engagement is not an “add-on.” It is embedded in the culture of an organization. While I wouldn’t compare it to the foundation of your house, I might say it’s similar to installing insulation, which provides everything from climate consistency to energy efficiency. Your employees feel and experience it every day. When done correctly, it impacts all aspects of their lives, because these days, our professional and personal lives are interconnected in ways they weren’t even five years ago.
True employee engagement itself is not hard, but for most companies, it means doing things differently. That’s when it gets tricky. Do you believe that innovation and company success comes only from your leadership or a select group of people? Organizations like this build themselves around a group of management and believe they alone can create building blocks for the future. When you don’t empower all your people, you not only take away their ability to provide on-the-ground feedback to help accomplish your goals, you create a culture that is anything but inclusive, transparent or energizing. Does that sound like smart business strategy?
As a leader, the most important action you can take is to recognize that employee engagement is as critical as other fundamental issues facing your business. Consider your perception of what’s happening with your employees at this very moment — and the possibility that you’re failing to recognize the telltale signs that are right in front of you:
What you see: Boredom
What’s really happening: People are daydreaming about getting out of your organization and using their job to find a new one where they can be themselves.
What you see: Stagnation
What’s really happening: People do what they think you want them to do instead of doing things the best way they can, using their unique talents and strengths.
What you see: Stress and frustration
What’s really happening: Employees don’t have to look far to see a department that’s been cut or a person who is getting paid more to do the same job. They are in “survival” mode, keeping their heads down so as not to be noticed.
What you see: Gossip, friction and unhealthy competition
What’s really happening: When employees worry that their jobs are on the line, they live to justify themselves. They build themselves up by knocking down their co-workers.
What you see: A gap between generations
What’s really happening: Boomers are worried about their relevance, so are busy reinventing themselves. Millennials have their own set of challenges. Traditional workplace systems often don’t offer incentives they find encouraging. This results in decreased productivity, limited innovation and eroded trust, encouraging your most important assets to walk out the door.
The truth is that employee engagement is a factor for every organization. How it’s applied varies. Aligned with organizational goals, employee engagement is a strategy savvy leaders can employ to address any number of corporate objectives, including:
• Maximizing individual performance
• Creating more effective teams
• Developing stronger leadership
• Retaining vital talent
In these turbulent times, employee engagement can help your business pivot purposefully, using employees as your greatest asset. Because they are.
Taking employee engagement from corporate jargon to reality is not a quick fix, but it can be transformative. Don’t think of it as yet another thing you need to do. Look at it as an investment in your business.
If you empower your employees and ask them for their real opinions; if you leverage the diversity and strengths of all your employees, not a select few; and if you ensure that this becomes part of the DNA of your culture, not an add-on, you could accomplish what all leaders strive to do: unleash a competitive advantage that truly sets your business apart.
In a nutshell, your differences are your strengths. To make employee engagement work, everyone needs to believe in it, work with it and genuinely appreciate it. Recognized for what it represents for your business, the “gorilla in the room” could help you change the game.
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