Gallup’s annual engagement survey shows that an average of 68% of employees are not engaged, even though most of their companies have employee engagement programs.
Why aren’t employee engagement programs enough?
One problem is that their effectiveness tends to be short-lived.
Another problem is that their focus is misdirected.
According to Gallup, their focus should really be on the managers.
Managers account for 70% of the variations in employee engagement scores.
It can’t be repeated often enough: employees don’t leave organizations, they leave managers.
Employees become disengaged if their managers aren’t willing or able to meet their needs.
What Do Employees Need?
So, what do employees need so they will be engaged?
It varies from person to person, of course.
However, there are some basics that almost everyone needs and appreciates, whether they are employees or managers.
Employees want to feel:
- good about themselves
- accepted as a valuable member of the organization and treated with respect and courtesy
- competent, with the knowledge and skills to effectively perform their jobs
- they have choices and a sense of control over decisions that affect them
- successful, knowing they can fulfill their responsibilities and achieve their goals
- they make a difference, what they do contributes to a larger positive mission
- psychologically safe, free to experiment and fail without repercussion
- they can learn and grow, with opportunities for training and promotion
- appreciated, their efforts and expertise recognized and valued.
Managers Can Meet Employee Needs
The satisfaction of most of these basic employee needs is dependent upon managers who can:
- communicate clearly,
- listen actively,
- delegate effectively,
- provide necessary training and resources,
- create and maintain a positive psychologically safe environment,
- give timely constructive feedback and coaching support,
- offer development opportunities, and
- recognize effort and achievements.
When managers lack the necessary interpersonal and management skills to effectively perform these essential activities, it is no wonder that their employees are disengaged.
And since it is only human to avoid doing what we are unsuccessful at, it is also no wonder that the managers themselves become disengaged.
Simple Engagement Equations
I think the equations are very simple:
Managers + effective interpersonal and management skills + success in their jobs= engaged managers
Engaged managers + [Employees + satisfied needs + success in their jobs] = engaged employees
A major key to their mutual success is managerial training in interpersonal and management skills.
When managers and employees are both set up for success, their engagement will naturally follow.
Question: Do you agree? Please comment below.
May your learning be sweet,
Deborah
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