Engage Internally On a Daily Basis!

Engage Internally On a Daily Basis!

The New Generation of Employees

“There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow. It goes without saying that 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.” – Jack Welch, former CEO of GE

Employee engagement is a key metric in any workplace as it is the emotional tie the employee has with the company and the company’s goals.

It isn’t merely happy, satisfied employees; it is hard-working, productive, company-advancing employees who care about their work (though happiness is greatly encouraged). This goes beyond deadlines, employee retention and promotions. This means that the connection that an employee feels towards his or her organization leads to a willingness in that employee using their knowledge, skills, abilities and emotions into finding actionable ways of improving the company’s performance and bettering themselves towards this goal. Whether you are a new graduate, a young professional or management, you have an impact on employee engagement, whether it is yours or not.

Ways in which employee engages at work differs for each person, but I believe there are ways which each employee can gain that engaging experience.

New Graduates:

From “Generation ‘why’” come new graduates that are as a whole looking for a higher purpose, a greater impact, innovative business cultures and a way to contribute to society (see Young Professional article). The problem is that you are starting at the bottom of the ladder.

To engage in your work, requires diligent balance in a variety of areas of your professional life to create a foundation for a successful career and healthy employee engagement. Balance these items carefully and you will see success:

• Knowledge and Learning: Know what you have to offer and the skills you possess, but be willing to learn and willing to experience different opportunities and points of view. Work hard at removing any learning curves you may face.
• Comfort and Formality: Be professional in everything you do. Building relationships is essential, but remember that interactions still need a business purpose.
• Creativity and Cooperation: Per my HPPO article, you should be willing to present ideas and factual context, but be open for questioning and others inputs.
• Advancement and Modesty: You should have goals and be looking for opportunities in everything you do, but have actions and results speak for themselves. You can have more advocates helping drive your goals and ambitions by helping the company and others achieve their goals, than you will by driving your goals onto the company and others.
• Listening and Inventiveness: Do the work you are asked to and required to do, but use your creativity and ingenuity to advance your work and to work smarter.
• Enthusiasm and Ethos: There should be a passion for each project which can be derived from the learning, collaboration and interactions in the project, regardless of impact. The projects you hope to get will come to you when passion is found in the projects that get dumped on you.

Young Professionals:

I believe that engaged employees are defined by what they give to their job, whereas disengaged employees are defined by what they get. This is to say essentially that engaged employees are intrinsically (subjectively) motivated, as opposed to extrinsically (objectively).

I believe that much engagement is a mindfulness that your work or interactions are accomplished and can be proven successful. These accomplishments can be when you develop a greater understanding of a problem, find the right solution, or anytime when you can express your identity and values through your work. This intrinsic engagement can also be through interactions – like in developing a great working relationship mutual understanding or connection and through mentoring/coaching. Research has shown that these intrinsic successes contribute a great amount to career success. Other ways in which you can create your own engagement and sense of accomplishment could be by:

• Developing a new skills or deepening existing skills
• Doing work that presents new or evolving insights into yourself, your organization or your industry
• Being acknowledged as an expert – gaining and sharing knowledge and skills
• Building new and valuable relationships inside and outside of your organization
• Collaborating effectively – effective communication to multiple stakeholders
• Receiving recognition for your achievements and contributions, which could even be a simple “thank you”
• Seeing, and possibly developing, the positive impact between your work on end users or on society
• Leaving a legacy – leaving the job better than when you started

Managers:

Engaged employees are not just more productive employees who help create a positive culture and alignment, but produce better business outcomes. According to research done by Towers Perrin and Kenexa, engaged employees have 6% higher profit margins and five times higher shareholder value. This value is derived through better service, higher customer satisfaction, increased sales, which is driven through management and the workplace.

As described by David Zinger, employee engagement is “…the art and science of engaging people in authentic and recognized connections to strategy, roles, performance, organization, community, relationship, customers, development, energy, and happiness to leverage, sustain, and transform work into results.” Essentially, a manager can create engagement by connecting individual roles and the goals of the organization, which gives energy and fulfillment to the employee.

Outside of aligning employee’s personality and work, managers have three key tools at his or her disposal to be a catalyst in workplace engagement, which has been supported by a variety of research. Managers must accommodate the three key needs of an employee:

• Interesting Work: Not as difficult as it may initially seem, interesting work varies from having ownership of a project to creating something where the employee has an actual contribution with greater impact. This work may be for advancing a business strategy, inventing a new method, or creating something new. It is essentially a movement in trust, by letting the employee move from doing a job to advancing that job.
• Recognition: Genuine, positive feedback is becoming more rare – by giving personal recognition to a job well done it reinforces positive engagement and accomplishments, giving further personal meaning to work. This personal meaning is derived from personal and professional growth and development.
• Inclusion/Awareness: Employee’s have a general desire for community, trust, and open/clear communication, by being up front and open to company happenings it personally engages the employee in the vision and direction of the company. This inclusion creates a deeper, personal bond to the company and work. Including employees awareness also shows a level of respect which is often missed – people can handle poor customers but have little tolerance for poor management.

Whether you are starting out your professional career, advancing through the ranks or leading a group, EVERYONE has the opportunity to create and advance employee engagement within his or her company. Creating an emotional connection between a person’s goal and a company’s improves business outcomes and advances personal development.

In a competitive world, employees who are dispirited, unmotivated or unappreciated cannot compete. Similarly, companies cannot compete without highly motivated, productive employees. Employee engagement is the start and end for both.

-thePonderingNick