engaged

Employee Engagement

While working on a research project on employee engagement, I’ve come across some interesting information I’d like to share with you.

 Jack and Suzy Welch, of GE and Harvard Business Review respectively, said, “…no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”

 Engaged employees are key to the well-being of companies. Research on 71 companies internationally, by a Chicago HR research and consulting firm, found that there was “almost a 52 percent difference in one-year performance improvement in operating income between companies with highly engaged employees as compared to those companies with low engagement scores.”

 So, what makes up an engaged employee? “Engaged people are proud to work for the company. They are committed to stay and put in the extra effort to facilitate the company’s goals,” said Soni Basi, senior project director at ISR. Curt Coffman, co-author of Gallup’s bestselling book on great managers, First Break All the Rules, reveals that, “Engaged employees are builders. They want to know the desired expectations for their role so they can meet and exceed them. They’re naturally curious about their company and their place in it. They perform at consistently high levels. They want to use their talents and strengths at work every day. They work with passion. They have a visceral connection to their company. And they drive innovation and move their organization forward.”

 How can we see that we all become engaged employees? The responsibility lies within us all. Managers must find ways of keeping employees engaged by providing “a strong relationship with, and clear communication from, their manager…Managers also have to challenge employees within their areas of talent, then help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to build their talents into strengths. And managers should help employees develop ownership of their goals, targets, and milestones, so employees can enhance their contributions to the company and increase their impact,” says Coffman. Coffman continues, “Employees who get to do what they do best everyday move toward engagement. And last but not least, catch him doing things right. Recognize him for excellence. Recognition is personally fulfilling, but even more, recognition communicates what an organization values, and it reinforces employee behaviors that reflect those values.”

 Associates also have a responsibility to become an engaged employee.

 Joe Kiedinger

 Action Plan: What do you find particularly stressful at work? Confront the issue and create a solution. This way you make more time to do what truly makes you happy.

Traditions are key to belonging!

We have a new intern working at About Me International. His name is Anh (On) Tran (Tron). Anh is from Vietnam and I have known him for two years while working with St. Norbert College, of which he is a recent graduate. Anh spent the July 4th holiday with my family up at our cottage, and it was really healthy for Danica and I and the kids to hear about his world back in Vietnam. I asked him if he and his family have any annual traditions. Like most of you, they do. When he discussed their traditions, he was fully engaged and excited. I get the same way when I talk about the traditions that my family has followed over the years.

In reflecting on this idea of “traditions,” I was reminded of how important traditions are for a family in bringing everyone together and the same goes for a company. Do you have regular traditions where you work? At our company, one of the things that we do is a holiday party that is full of traditions. For example, our guests only have about 60 minutes over the entire evening to chit chat and eat, and then it’s on to the party games! I know, it sounds exhausting but it’s tradition! Our other traditions include quarterly Servant Leadership half-day sessions and when a new client signs up we send around a symbolic “GONG.” It’s a gong like you would see in The Gong Show, except it’s a good thing!

What traditions do you have or what traditions can you start? Everyone wants to feel a part of a family or a group. Traditions help to bring commonality to everyone and are important for a rich culture to endure.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Identify current traditions and start creating new ones!