NEWSLETTER : creating employee engagement

synergy reviewi d e a s t o e m p o w e r b u s i n e s s e x c e l l e n c e

a weekly newsletter by Dr Wilfred Monteiro- Mumbaiwww.synergymanager.net

CREATING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Over the past few years, there's been much written about employee

engagement . What it is, what it isn't, is it important and (assuming it is) how

do you get it? In fact, there are literally dozens of consulting, survey and

training firms that have either sprung to become employee engagement

experts.

However the notion of employee engagement is simple. Individual contribution

of employees (including managers and leaders) in the workplace is very much

influenced by the strength of their respective emotional connection to their

employer. The stronger and more positive that connection, the more likely it is

that the employee will give their best effort - in fact, go the proverbial "extra

mile" - for the sake of their organization. While the vast majority of recent

experiences supports this idea, capitalizing on it requires a very disciplined

strategy of measurement and response, as well as a long-term commitment of

resources and talent. More significantly, it may also require some

organizational soul-searching.

At its core, employee engagement is based upon the basic concept of

reciprocity. The employer works to create a work environment that is so

emotionally satisfying and rewarding for employees, that it literally invites

them to become similarly invested (engaged) in its long-term success. Like

the any sport like cricket or football, it is conceptually simple to grasp, but not

necessarily easy to execute well. One of the challenges is that emotional

connections can be difficult to measure and are prone to shift (in some cases

quickly) in response to changes in the work environment. More confounding is

that these relations are typically forged one employee at a time, yet are

influenced by multiple variables (reporting manager relationships,

organizational mission and values, workload, peer relationships, etc.). Add to

this the cost/resource challenges created by the recession or business cycles

facing the industry employee engagement as a business improvement

initiative can quickly become a "nice to do" for better times.

WHY EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT

In times of economic doom and gloom, employees lose confidence and

become fearful about the organization's future. If there have been staff

redundancies within an organisation or targets aren't being met, there can

be a downward spiral effect on employee productivity which can further eat

into organization performance. However, when employees are emotionally

and psychologically engaged with an organisation, it will perform more

effectively. This has a flow on effect as employees become even more

engaged. People take stronger ownership when they're involved in the

organization's improved performance and future development. They also

become more enthusiastic and supportive about what's happening in their

work environment. They Bring a consistently higher level of commitment,

creativity and energy to their jobs

In creating a culture of service, performance, and operational excellence,employee engagement is the key that unlocks the door to customerloyalty. Unfortunately, the leadership skills needed to create anenvironment that fosters employee engagement, motivation, and trust areoften elusive in many organizations. In an environment of highengagement people can rightfully say… "I feel as though I make adifference. My job allows me latitude to make decisions and implementthem in order to get the job done. At the end of the day I can look backand see what I have been able to accomplish with a great feeling ofsatisfaction."

HOW TO START WITH EMPLOYEE ENGAGMENT?

We can easily “guestimate” five common things that employees want, need,

and expect from their employers need to be more productive, valuable, and

promotable within the organization.

#1 - COMMUNICATION

Few employees feel that they get enough communication or information on

company updates from their boss. Open communication is key to creating and

sustaining a culture of excellence, as well as, increasing employee

engagement and trust, customer loyalty, and ultimately improving bottom-line

results.

Open communication can be in the form of: one-on-one updates with staff

members; daily briefings with the entire team; company newsletters and

intranet updates; or through regularly scheduled team or departmental

meetings. Open communication does not mean sharing confidential company

information, but it should include keeping your staff abreast of inter-company

changes, financial results, customer feedback (good or bad), and aware of

new products and services that will soon be launched.

Remember, from the employee's perspective, there is always something new

to share, and when you open up the lines of communication, you lessen the

likelihood of negative gossip.

#2 - INVOLVEMENT

Creating fully engaged employees, who have passion for driving excellence,

also includes involvement. Most employees want to be involved in the

planning of work that affects them. When employees are not involved it often

contributes to misalignment, negativity, and low morale.

Involving employees doesn't mean getting their say on confidential business

issues, but it does include soliciting their feedback on workplace issues,

processes or procedural changes that will impact their work -- before they are

implemented. When employees understand the "why" and are involved to

some extent in the improvement process and implementation, you have a

greater chance at creating sustainable change, a high level of trust, buy-in,

and support.

#3 – THE RIGHT RESOURCES & RIGHT SUPPORT

When employees are provided with the proper tools and resources to do a

quality job, it creates a great environment for holding everyone accountable

for driving excellence. It also demonstrates that the organization is serious

about creating a work environment where employees can thrive, be

successful, and contribute to improving operational and financial results.

Basic resources should include appropriate supplies and equipment, along

with learning and development opportunities to enhance and grow employee

competence, confidence, skill, and ability.

When was the last time you assessed where you stand (as a leader) in

providing the basic tools and resources to ensure a job well done from your

staff? If funding and budget cuts are barriers, use the wisdom of your team to

surface resourceful ways to ensure they have what they need, while not

causing a financial burden to the organization.

#4 - RECOGNITION

Even in organizations who profess that they do a good job in rewarding and

recognizing staff members, there are still many employees starving for it.

That's often because the level of recognition initiated often varies based on

the departmental leader. I believe that there should be multiple channels of

reward and recognition flowing throughout an organization; not only top-down

recognition - which is manager-to-employees, but also lateral recognition -

which is peer-to-peer.

When employees feel they are adequately recognized for a job well done,

they become self-motivated to do more with less. And for the most part, a

sincere "thank you" with a pat on the back from a manager or senior leader to

a line employee can go a long way in creating and sustaining a culture of

excellence.

What ever the workforce composition, employee engagement is strongly

driven by the immediate manager and his or her ability to meet employees'

emotional requirements. In this context, it is suggested that people are

motivated more by intrinsic factors, such as personal recognition, rather than

simply focusing on extrinsic factors, such as compensation. The following

ideas can be executed with very little cost for everyone and anyone….

Invite successful teams to present their project achievements to top

management.

Start a staff appreciation program. Award points for positive traits. Points

may be redeemed for small prizes or special privileges.

Plan a surprise achievement celebration for a staff member or team.

Pass on the praise. If you hear a positive remark about a person, repeat it

to that person as soon as possible--perhaps via email. . Publish a "kudos"

column in your newsletter. Ask staff to submit kudos for their peers.

Call an employee to your office to thank them.

Express interest in your staff members' professional development or

personal accomplishments like Mohan participated in the Mumbai

Marathon.

Establish relationships between staff and upper management. One idea:

send new employees out to lunch with the company president.

Mail thank you notes to employees who work long hours for a special

project/crisis and start a program to curtail needless late working as well

Allow employees to select their next assignments. If you can allow

employees to choose their work, they will be more engaged and

dedicated.

Designate successful teams and employees as office consultants.

Give employees an extra long lunch break on occasion or convert this into

a surprise party or celebration of a company’s achievement

establish a real generous Award to recognize employees who consistently

do their job well…. This should make the others jealous atleast !!!

#5 - TRUST

Trust isn’t something you can buy. Trust is something you earn. It’s based on

a set of behaviors that can be learned, practiced, and mastered. It’s a

commitment that fundamentally informs how people think about and interact

with customers, suppliers, and coworkers. In time, it becomes an

organization’s way of being. An interesting trend observed in most companies

is that the employee perceptions drop after spending 6 months in the

organization. It highlights the challenge in managing new hire expectations

and the possible gap in employer brand promise and the actual experience.

The change is largely related to credibility of the commitments made by

management, openness in communication with seniors and recognition of

work.

When leaders work diligently to keep the lines of communication open, involve

employees in the planning of work that impacts them, provide employees with

proper tools and resources, and consistently recognize exemplary job

performance - all of these elements contribute to creating a high level of trust

on both sides of the fence. In a good company , trust should manifests itself

in every relationship. Managers believe that employees want to be productive,

encouraging them to participate in the business. Employees act like owners.

They’re enthusiastic and passionate about their work and the company’s

mission. In a high-trust environment, people cooperate and collaborate,

leading to positive workplace interactions, higher profits, and greater

productivity.

MASTER KEY ….ONE SIZE /FITS ALL?

Please note that every organization is different. There is a crying need to fine

tune their engagement initiatives. employees in different demographic groups

feel differently about what's important to be emotionally engaged with their

employer. Three key differences are … career stage; employee gender and

tenure of employment within an organization need special attention and

appropriate action.

Career starters are more engaged emotionally through:

1. professional support by their immediate manager

2. organization communication about its direction

3. organization values and behaviors that they support

4. organization commitment to improving operating systems

5. organization commitment to high performance

6. organization focus on team performance

Employees with more established careers are more engaged emotionally

through:

trust and respect for their immediate manager

high performance standards for the organization

understanding how organization strategies are met

fair HR policies and procedures

their organization reducing risk and acting responsibly

New starters are more engaged emotionally through:

the relationship with their immediate manager

effective communication in the organization

organizational performance

a customer service culture within the organization

the organization reducing risk

Longer serving employees are more engaged emotionally through:

the organization's long term strategies and aims

HR policies and practices

plans and projects for organizational long term success

This is not an exhaustive list or a one lasting solution …. EMPLOYEEENGAGMENT is a moving target. Creativity & innovation ( a buzz word) todayis needed also in employee engagement… Remember what Peter Sengementions in The Learning Organisation”… what is the best today will becommon-place tomorrow…”

GIVE ME YOUR FEEDBACK… we could have a compendium of bestpractices of Indian companies… To know how they invent & reinvent ways todelight their employees.

Best wishesWilfred Monteiro

Weekly knowledge journal to client companies, seminar participants & well wishers ofSYNERGY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, MUMBAI

website: www.synergymanager.net

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