A New Level of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is often handled on a superficial level by organizations, but to truly make a difference in retaining employees, companies must start tackling it more authentically.

“The first thing [to do] is to try and create more open dialogue on a regular basis,” said Brad Federman, president of Performancepoint LLC and author of Employee Engagement. “We tend to look at engagement and satisfaction as an event – as a once-a-year survey. The reality is it’s what happens after the survey process that really matters. It’s the postscript; the follow-up; the action planning; demonstrating the value of the feedback and the fact that you’re taking that feedback seriously.

“A key thing that people should do is begin to build more connections. [Managers should create] vehicles for connecting [employees] to their work, to the team, to the organization as a whole. The more connections [they] have and the stronger these connections are, the more likely people are going to be committed and more productive.”

Additionally, moving past the often transactional nature of manager-employee conversations and reaching a point where managers and employees actually get to know each other can unlock what an employee is passionate about — and managers can then incorporate those passions in the workplace.

Federman said that employees today tend to think of the relationship between an employee and an employer as one of equals, so the old command-and-control structure that many companies still use is no longer effective.

“Employees are looking for organizations and leaders that are authentic [and] transparent,” said Federman, adding that they’re also looking for demonstration of trust. “They want consistency. What is said internally and externally should match. When there’s inconsistency between those two, it creates disengagement.

“People are looking for leaders that inspire, that are perceptive and creative, not bureaucratic [or] policy driven,” he said. “They’re looking for leaders that are truly accountable and organizations that want to create more ownership across the organization. So it’s not about fear and blame; it’s about opportunity and ownership.”

Overall, Federman said, employees want to feel a connection to their employer and passion for their work, though there are different levels of engagement.

“There are the employees that show up to work because they need a job; they need to pay the bills,” he said. “There are employees that show up because they have goals; they’re focused; they want a promotion. There are employees that show up because they have a mission to believe in. And then there are people that show up to work because there’s a real passion and cause there — they feel like they’re bettering the community; they’re improving lives; they’re impacting people on a day-to-day basis — and a large portion of whether people feel that way or not is based on the culture that’s bred in the organization.”

To see original article go to:  http://talentmgt.com/talent.php?pt=a&aid=1127

How many Souls Have Left the Building? A Conversation on Employee Engagement.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Brad Federman, author of a new book on Employee Engagement (unambiguously) titled, “Employee Engagement.”     http://theengagementfactor.wordpress.com

I wanted to get his opinion on all things Engagement – What is it?  Why don’t companies understand it? What can they do about it?  He offered some great insight, even better sound bites, and a compelling argument as to why this is THE business challenge the will separate the winners from the losers during the economic recovery.

Seven questions and answers that will be sure to lead your organization to Engagement bliss, or simply scare you to death.   One thing is for sure, if your company wants better execution, then your organization better address the engagement issue now or it will address yourorganization later.

Take a look and let us know what you think.  I’ll make sure Brad responds to any questions that you may have.

Many books have been written about the topic of Employee Engagement.  What makes this one different?

(Answer) First, most books on Engagement tackle a piece of the subject, but do not take a holistic view providing the reader with a less than realistic view of what engagement really is.  It would be the equivalent of educating someone on small business loans and giving them the impression that they understand everything there is to know about the economy.  Second, this is not an HR book.  This is a business book for managers, leaders, and executives who want to grow their organization regardless of their function.

Why do you think so many companies still have a problem grasping this concept?

(Answer) The entire economy has been turned upside down, the employer-employee relationship has been turned on its head, a generational shift is occurring in the workplace, technology has dramatically altered how we communicate and perceive one another, yet most of our tools, structures and research we use as well as the habits we live by come from the 80’s and 90’s.  We have yet to catch up to our current reality.  Some don’t recognize the changes, others hope things return to what they coin “normal”, and many that recognize and grasp our new reality struggle with how to act on it.

World at Work recently released a study stating that Engagement has decreased 9% worldwide and 20+% among high-performers.   Did this surprise you?   What do you think the implications are for companies trying to navigate what appears to be a slow moving economic recovery?

(Answer) No it does not surprise me about this study.  The implications are simple and straightforward.  Those that focus on engagement now will recover faster and stronger than those that do not.  Many organizations are still healthy because they never lost sight of engagement during this difficult period.  When the economy does recover, the floodgates will open at certain organizations and they will lose their intellectual capital.  But that is not the scariest part.  The scariest aspect is that that there are companies right now that do not realize the bad shape they are in with their business. They blame their ills on the economy.   My question for those organizations is…You may have the bodies, but how many souls have left the building? Without spirit they don’t have a business.

What do you consider the top three reasons for decreased engagement?

(Answer) Fear, Control, and Self Interest starting with senior leadership then cascading down from there.  The ingredients that create strong, productive relationships are also the same ingredients that create healthy, dynamic organizations – Trust, Transparency, Authenticity, Ownership (accountability), Creativity and Resourcefulness.  Unfortunately difficult circumstances cause many organizations, specifically senior leadership, to neglect what is important.  During difficult economic times people tend to act or make decisions based on fear, concerns, or anxiety.  All of us have fears, concerns, and anxiety but if we are able to admit when we are falling prey to them and work through those issues with others then we are able to make healthier decisions.  When stress and fear take over we look at the world in exclusive terms and in limiting ways.  We become focused on mitigating risk and lose sight of opportunity.  We decide to put in a number of controls to create predictability and political jockeying goes into overdrive because everyone wants to keep their job.  These types of behaviors not only spread and change the culture of an organization, but they hamstring the very people who can help us survive these challenges and come out of the other end.  Stress and fear can either be our jailor or our counselor.  It is our choice.  Too many leadership teams during downturns like this one choose, consciously or unconsciously, the jailor and then rationalize it to make themselves feel comfortable.

Many CEO’s still view Engagement as Soft and HR-ish.   Assuming one of them gave you 30 seconds to convince him/her that this is important, what would you say?

(Answer) First of all I would love to have more CEO’s give me 30 seconds.  Any takers?  More importantly, I would like to see a CEO convince me that it is not important.  But since you are asking the questions, here it goes…I would ask them “What factor(s) is most paramount to their success? “  Is the answer is product innovation, sales, service. My next question is going to be “How do your people impact service, sales, product innovation?” Then I would ask them “Why it is acceptable to only 11-24% of their employees proactively helping the organization toward that goal?”  Last I would ask them “What do they think the impact is?”  Seriously, we would not settle for a manufacturing plant at 70% capacity, so why would we settle with our people.   We shouldn’t. We should invest in them.

Can you share a success story from a company that has made significant improvements in Engagement and the business impact of doing so?

(Answer) We worked with a high tech firm.  They were using a home grown survey that had too many questions, was not tied to research, and was not adding any value.  The survey was seen mainly as an HR activity.  They decided to make a change and they went with our survey the Engagement Index.  The first year that we worked with them the feedback illustrated very low levels of Engagement.  We were very clear with them about which issues were needed to be resolved in order to get an ROI from this process.  We also helped them with follow up, focus groups, and action planning.  Leadership was seen as a large portion of the issue.  There was a real lack of trust in their senior leadership.  First came a bit of shock, then regret, and then the excuses.  We helped them process the feedback and they came to the realization that not only did the organization have to make changes, but their leadership had to as well.  We have worked with them for four years now and their engagement levels have significantly improved.  There leadership is now trusted, and people believe in the mission and direction of the company.  Many employees shifted from being angry, complaining, sabotage – to pulling for the company even during difficult times.  Financials had been going south, but one year into our efforts they were able to create an 11M positive shift in profit and the engagement numbers and financial numbers have continued to go in the right direction. They have taken the shackles off of their employee’s hands, allowed them to get back to work, and work passionately together along the way.

Shameless Plug Time – Say anything you want here to convince readers as to why they should purchase this book.

(Answer) This is a book about business, but more importantly, it is a book about life.  The book will help you improve your relationships, team, division, organization, or strengthen customer relationships.  Any professional, manager, or executive would benefit from this read, but don’t take my word for it.  Here is what others have said:

“This will be the definitive book on employee engagement for years to come.”

“I know this sounds crazy, but this book has more to do with navigating life than improving employee loyalty, etc. I was surprised at how much I gleaned from this “business” book.”

“If you read one book on Engagement, make it this one!”

“Thoughtful. Brilliant. A genie in a bottle!”

“It will give you insight into the language and concerns of the decision-makers.”

 

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Employee Engagement Reviewed by HR Magazine

From HR Magazine’s Books in Brief

Author and consultant Brad Federman calls it “the big question” for all organizations: “How do we create an environment that encourages connections or mutually beneficial bonds?” The question isn’t about warm and fuzzy feel-good workplaces; it’s about employee performance and tenure and their impact on the organization and its bottom line.

In Employee Engagement, Federman looks at why surveys and data on engagement are so often flawed and gives advice on shaping better surveys to measure employee engagement more accurately. Readers learn how to manage engagement surveys, ask questions that elicit more-useful answers and analyze results.

Then readers get advice on how to handle the feedback they will get from surveys and conduct talks with employees. Federman provides sample agendas for different types of discussions about engagement feedback, plus charts to help readers organize data and plan actions and tips on communicating results that come from discussions with employees.

Readers learn to apply the information they get about employee engagement by improving the way the employer handles turnover, selection, onboarding processes, leadership development and more.

For example, a detailed turnover matrix examines types of turnover—voluntary and involuntary, after a short time on the job or after a longer tenure—and examines why each type of turnover happens. A chapter on hiring and bringing new hires on board looks at how to preview jobs for new hires more realistically, how to use testing and behavior-based or structured interviews, and how to create transition plans for new hires.

Federman also describes competencies managers and others need to connect with others and increase engagement. Taking personal responsibility for one’s actions, recognizing others’ contributions, being resilient in the face of change and focusing on customer service are among the competencies.

For the original review go to www.shrm.org.  If you are not a member you may want to think about joining.

 

Learning Solutions Magazine Employee Engagement Book Review

I almost didn’t review this book for Learning Solutions, because the title didn’t look like it would have much to do with e-Learning. Fortunately, I changed my mind after skimming through the first few pages.

After a few years in “the learning business” (including e-Learning), most of us learn that training is not enough. Learning is necessary, but not sufficient by itself, to improve and sustain performance. I quickly realized that in this book, Brad Federman has come to the same conclusion.

Now, many performance technologists think in terms of Tom Gilbert’s six-element Behavior Engineering Model (BEM) as the way to complement instruction. Unfortunately, this does not go over well with executives, who tend to think of the BEM as another example of “the paralysis of analysis.” Federman, on the other hand, goes for a more fundamental concept, and one that uses the language of business rather than the language of theory: employee engagement.

In his introduction to the book, Federman explains how he came to this approach:

“I began to ask myself why work felt this way for so many people. With all of the training and interventions available, why was the environment of so many companies so far from stellar? And besides feeling good, did it really matter? … I came to a few key realizations:

• “Many of the interventions in the workplace are based on old research that reflects a different time;
• Organizations do not deal with key issues, such as ‘building trust’ and ‘working through fear,’ in much of our training;
• Our tendency is to make ‘or’ decisions versus ‘and’ decisions, causing us to function in an exclusive vs. inclusive manner; and
• Our ability to truly link ‘people’ to ‘profit’ still had a long way to go.”

He decided to raise the human element of the business to the boardroom, in a way that provides a roadmap to a more productive future. As part of his demonstration that engagement is a key factor to corporate success and survival, Federman cites a 2004 Conference Board Employee Engagement study. In a survey, the Board found that 62% of firms with low levels of employee engagement had below average financials. At the same time, 71% of firms with high levels of employee engagement had above average financials. These are correlations that are hard to ignore!

Rather than focus on theory, Federman gives a quick overview of the employee engagement spectrum and the factors that determine an organization’s position in that spectrum. He moves directly to practical considerations by suggesting “Questions to Ask Yourself.” This avoids the traps that so many business writers fall into, of making prescriptive pronouncements (that may not apply to the reader’s situation), or of giving formulas (that can be applied blindly).

Most of the content of the book helps the reader understand how to design measurements and surveys that will help find the answer to all those “Questions to Ask Yourself.”  There is also substantial guidance on dealing with the feedback from the surveys, and on doing the necessary action planning.

Much of the heart of the book comes in the middle, in a chapter on the two core issues that destroy employee engagement: lack of trust, and focusing on risks instead of opportunities. Federman provides tips, pointers, and, yes, more “Questions to Ask Yourself.”

The second half of the book deals with several critical engagement applications. These are the steps that prevent your efforts at building employee engagement from turning into a one-shot “program.” These are:

• Dealing with turnover,
• Onboarding (bringing new employees and new managers into the organization – don’t confuse this with “New Employee Orientation”!),
• Building leaders with problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, and business acumen,
• Succession planning,
• Helping employees understand “MPV,” or “My Professional Value”, and
• Understanding the Eye of the Customer.

On the whole I think this belongs on your bookshelf, especially if you are in any way responsible for managing e-Learning. It will give you plenty to think about when you begin working on your organization’s learning strategy. I believe it will also help you to identify the kinds of results you need to be measuring in order to state, and to demonstrate, your value proposition for e-Learning. But perhaps most of all, it will give you insight into the language and concerns of the decision-makers.

For the original review go to:  http://bit.ly/3m5FXe

Feedback to Inspire

I believe feedback can inspire, motivate, activate, encourage, enthuse, stir, drive, propel, energize, and awaken confidence and performance.  I have seen it occur.  However it can also…

Dampen, dull, decrease, lessen, lower, diminish, reduce, suppress, smother, asphyxiate, and choke confidence and performance.

My research and experience show that there are a number of factors that influence the outcome.  Here are a few of the big ones:

1. The provider of the feedback: Why, how, when, and where are as important as the what.  Many times the feedback they provide says more about themselves than the person they are providing it too.
2. The receiver:  History and experience with feedback play a specific role in how someone interprets feedback, as well as personality preferences.
3. The relationship:  The relationship between the people involved plays a role.  People respond based on patterns.  If there is a relationship pattern it will be difficult to break and they will have to work at it.
4. Organizational Culture:  Culture of the organization plays a significant role.  If the culture is based on fear and distrust it can be difficult to inspire.
5. Diversity:  Cultural and generational differences impact how the message is received.  With all of the best intent, positive attitudes, skills, and technique sometimes we are just unaware of customs, style, and cultural backgrounds.

However, all of these issues can be worked through, improved or overcome and the provider plays the biggest role.  So providers of feedback…lets aspire to inspire!

 

Achieve Organizational Success in Today’s Economy

New Book: Employee Engagement
MEMPHIS, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Five years ago your company hired a bright, young, talented college graduate whom you believed had the moxy to someday take your position as leader. Since his hire, he’d become a top producer, had risen within the organization and, literally, was next in line to take your place. You felt as though you had mentored and nurtured this person for five years. Obviously, they didn’t feel the same way. Then, out of the blue, he comes to you and hands over a more …

Power of One – We Can Change Our Corner of the World

Watch this compelling video and then simply…Act on it.  Do one thing today.  Just one.  Recognize your personal power and use it.

The Fun Theory

Research has demonstrated, over and over again, that if we make work “fun” and “interesting”  people perform better.  Employees enjoy working on things about which they are passionate.  Most importantly, the more we engage customers and employees the more they will engage in us, their work, or the experience.   Well this brief video clearly demonstrates the “Fun Theory.”   Check it out!!!

Workplace Paralysis a Problem With Younger Workers

According to a study conducted by MetLife Mature Market Institute, organized in alliance with Boston Colleges Sloan Center on Aging & Work, the decline of our economy has had more impact psychologically on young adults than it has on older workers from the Baby Boomer and Traditionalist generations. This studys results were compiled into the report, Engaging the 21st Century Multi-Generational Workforce.

The main goal of the study was to discover if generational differences were a factor in the area of employee engagement. This theory was proven to be true. There is a distinctive difference in what impacts different employees. While the information as to what will affect different generations of employees is an excellent resource in itself, it is also fascinating to learn how different groups of employees are braving the economic upheaval.

Employees age 26 and younger (Generation Y) and age 27 to 42 (Generation X) revealed a decline in engagement, while those over 43 showed very little change. This anomaly may be because younger employees have not been through similar tough times, while Baby Boomers and Traditionalists have. Having survived previous declines, the older workers understand that things sooner or later improve. Therefore, on a whole, older workers are better able to adjust.

A recent Business Week article about the recessions impact on todays young people reports the same findings. The Age of Anxiety piece reported that the younger generation of our country are commencing their careers at a frightful time, and their initial employment choices may have financial ramifications for many years.

Both the MetLife study and the Business Week article indicate that managers need to do more to help younger workers cope with the anxiety of living and working in a recession.

It may seem to be a waste of time to indulge younger workers, especially with everything else on your plate every day. However, I have found, and the research of Harvard professor Bob Sutton shows, that a significant deterioration in productivity is the inevitable result of employees overtaken with the anxiety that a recession can produce.

Older managers should try to find time to discuss with younger workers how they are feeling about the economic slump and suggest strategies for braving the storm. Sharing personal stories from prior recessions and tips to pull through the stressful times in a positive manner will go a long way in improving younger employees work ethic, and ultimately the teams results.

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Engage Workers By Letting Them Think

“If you see a fork in the road, take it,” and “You can observe a lot by watching” are some of the many one-line quips of baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.  Yogi’s comments are both fun and a blinding flash of the obvious that often draw us back to simple truths.  My favorite is “The future ain’t what it used to be.”

One blinding flash of the obvious that is often missed, and that could be extremely pertinent in the age of employee engagement, is “Engagement requires thinking.”  In my experience, many employee engagement approaches are still one-way communication efforts on steroids that fail to tap into the ability of employees to think and act differently.  At a time when study after study confirms that only about 20% of employees are engaged in their current work, it’s hard not to conclude that something’s not working!  Maybe “having a best friend at work” isn’t the determining factor.  Why are so many employees simply checked out at the place where they spend 40% of their waking lives…at work?

Let’s start with a key premise that’s often missed in engagement efforts – that we want to solve problems ourselves.  From Sudoku to mystery novels to crosswords, we all love the challenge of solving a puzzle.  Obviously, we could just turn to the back of the book and get the answer or read the final page.  But what’s engaging about that?  We want the intellectual and emotional experience of finding a sense of achievement in our own thinking.  When people get a chance to solve their own puzzles, they own the result.  And owners think, act, and engage differently from non-owners.  They’re vested, they’re passionate, they won’t take no for an answer, and they’re willing to put in more effort than is required.I once talked to an employee at a large Canadian bank just after she was given her first opportunity in 15 years to actively think about her business.  In an “official” group discussion, she was asked to compare and contrast major marketplace trends and consider competitive threats, industry consolidation, and consumer expectations.  The experience was a real eye-opener for her – and for her leaders.

She told me, “You know, learning and engagement require thinking.  In the past, people have tried to persuade me to do things differently in order to improve the business.  But they never asked me to think about the business.  This is the first time I’ve ever learned anything here – the first time I have really been engaged in solving our problems.  Now that I’ve had a chance to actually think about our business, I’m beginning to change my ideas about how it works and my role in it.”

And it’s not just intellectual – engagement is emotional.  You can’t possibly be engaged if someone else is trying to draw your conclusions for you.  You need the “emotional aha.”  You need to feel like you’re totally in the game by really feeling what the business needs, figuring out how you can help, and realizing why you make a difference.  The woman at the bank felt valued because her company offered her a challenge instead of spoon-feeding her a solution.  That showed her that her leaders believed that she had the ability to think.  And this energized her and created a sense of belonging, pride, ownership, and desire to go the extra mile.

Most organizations attempt to execute their strategies by doing all the thinking for their people – and then trying to persuade them to dedicate their heads, hearts, and hands to bring the strategies to life.  Our 20% engagement statistic should loudly tell us that this doesn’t work!

So to be engaged means that you know what you need to do as well as why you’re doing it.  But if you’re a leader at any level in your organization, how do you get people there?  Abraham Maslow said, “The great tragedy of the human race is the history of people selling themselves short.”

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