It started with a lamp... a logo-ed lamp....
The guys who used to sell class rings out of the trunks of their cars began imprinting corporate logos to belt buckles as a side business. If you performed well, you got a trophy, literally. People appreciated the recognition ! My Dad still has every logo-ed ash tray his company gave him.... even tough he never smoked a single cigarette his entire life.
Times have changed, not as rapidly as one would have expected, but times have changed.
The Starr Conspiracy recently release a comprehensive overview of the "now referred to as" HCM space. The report will serve as a necessary wake up call to some and an astounding "finally" to others. In all their perceptive excellence, SC has spelled out today's reality:
Employee Engagement exists in sub-categories!
The guys/gals who made lamps went on using their purchasing power to buy electronics and such. No one has ever poo poo-ed a pat on the back but a logo-ed lamp never Engaged an employee. Vendors in the space protective of their bread and butter have relentlessly banged the engagement drum without the strategic capital or systems to create it.
Like the Starr Conspiracy, Rodd Wagner entered the Employee Engagement debate with the objectivity of a news beat reporter.
Wagner's research has revealed the hidden truths of employee engagement that those in the warehousing business have failed to consider.
Get Inside Their Heads
The recognition industry circles the manager/employee drain by distributing gift cards as a pat on the back. Poor managers mask their incompetence through micro-management and provide "recognition" to keep their relationships manageable.
Employees don't leave companies they leave managers.
Make Them Fearless
Have you ever hated your job? Boss is reactionary. Strategy is fragmented. Organizational direction is uncertain.
Your stomach turns on Sunday evening dreading the week ahead. You dart to Happy Hour as soon as quitting time comes around. You attend industry events, not to promote your organization, but to look for an alternative.
Life is too short to hate your profession!
The best companies are not concerned with promoting their workplace culture, they allow for organic growth. Internal promotions and word of mouth referrals save companies millions. You don't need to be voted a great place to work... all you have to do is be a great place to work.
Uncertainty kills employee engagement.
Help Them Thrive
People will work for less money if you provide them the autonomy to manage their work schedule.
If we are being honest: results are all that matter.... not where you work or when you work.
TRUST is the #1 driver of Employee Engagement.
If you allow your employees to manage their work/life balance. They will be more productive, healthier and less stressed out.
Knock Down the Silos! Flatten the Hierarchy.
Be Boldly Transparent
What is the future of Employee Engagement?
Picture this:
An employee chooses his/her areas of emphasis: Production Goals, Soft Skill Development, Leadership Development and the ability to find projects that will challenge them to transcend their comfort zone.
Employee Engagement is not about a prize, a platform or a paycheck. There is not a single solution that will make all of your employees happy.
Organizations need to embrace a conglomeration of tools, programs and opportunities for advancement.
It comes down to an employee admitting one universal truth:
I Can Do More Here Than I Can Anywhere Else!
Don't Forget to Remember!
Dave
