... ensure you protect and even enhance employee engagement when mistakes are made. Treat mistakes and an opportunity to learn with experimentation in a complex system. How a leader views or defines mistakes will determine his/her reaction and the employee response. Leaders who enhance employee engagement look at mistakes as an opportunity to learn for all levels. They see the mistake as flaw in the process or system within which the employee operates. They don't see the mistake as a flaw in the employee who was involved. For these leaders the employee was not really the cause of the mistake. Instead, the employee was merely one of the ... in a series of complex factors. Sabotage is a serious offense and is a totally different matter and must be treated differently from mistakes. Leaders who hold employees accountable for results and for numeric goals can damage employee engagement because they are not acknowledging the complexity of factors in the system. Blaming employees for mistakes will damage engagement. Leaders who want to enhance employee engagement will allow the employee to "drive the car" and make the little adjustments necessary to get to the destination. They clarify the vision, mission, and strategy to be sure the employees are all on the correct road. They look for opportunities ...
Tags: Employee Engagement | Perforamnce | Mistakes | Learning |

... to a 2011 study by SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). To optimize retention and trust managers (and all employees) must know how to create employee engagement. Frequent feedback is an extremely important element for creating an environment of employee engagement. An improved ability to give and receive feedback will improve the relationship between supervisors and employees. According to Gallup, employee retention is directly dependent upon the quality of the relationship with the employee's immediate supervisor. Willingly giving and receiving frequent feedback means we are invested and committed to the organization and to our relationships. Why Fearless Feedback? Organizations ...
Tags: Feedback | Employee Engagement | Trust | Leadership |

... are not yet "thinking in terms of systems." Most leaders still believe an improvement in the parts in an organization (the employees) will improve the organization. This is a false belief that actually damages employee engagement and performance improvement. General Motors provides a good example of this. In 1982, GM closed its Fremont, California plant in 1982 because, of all of its plants, it had the worst record for: employee absenteeism, productivity, quality and morale. Then in 1983, Toyota and GM agreed to re-open the plant under two major conditions: one, that the plant would be managed by Japanese-trained leaders; and ... is protected Those leaders who are nervous about sacrificing the level of accountability can be comforted with the knowledge that CPIP actually improves accountability. In the CPIP everyone, employees and managers alike, must be accountable to certain values behaviors and they must be held accountable to keeping their agreements. Any employee who is unwilling to behave accordingly is making a decision to deselect from the organization and should be helped to do so. Just as the missing flip charts will unknowingly damage the learning of training participants, the current performance review processes will damage engagement.
Tags: Employee Engagement | Performance Management | Leadership |

... specific possibilities for change, and a reluctance to communicate in the future. All three of these factors damage the opportunity for learning and can most often contribute to a lack of motivation or engagement which directly impacts productivity and profitability. Criticism by senior managers damages employee engagement because it damages the relationship and the possibility for learning. These are two of the most critical factors for creating an environment of engagement. Two Types of Criticism Although it is important to draw a distinction between solicited and unsolicited criticism, all criticism can be damaging depending upon the way it is delivered. Unsolicited is more damaging ...
Tags: Employee Engagement | Leadership | Criticism | Performance Feedback |

... production workers. This case study is a great lesson in the tremendous boost to long-term productivity, innovation and competitiveness that comes from truly committing to fostering a culture of full employee engagement. (Full disclosure: Bombardier is not a client of mine, but I am very impressed with their commitment and results. I will be using it as an example with any client that struggles with the long-term commitment full employee engagement demands.) The challenge the Bombardier CEO, Pierre Beaudoin, described in this study could apply to a host of companies. Here are just two excerpts: "In 2001, we had an organization that ... the Canadian airplane and train manufacturer, committed to using employee engagement as the core of a huge initiative to change the company's culture. The shock of the events of September 2001, which were devastating to the airline industry, provided the motivation, and they stuck to it over the next decade in the face of a lot of resistance from their engineers and production workers. This case study is a great lesson in the tremendous boost to long-term productivity, innovation and competitiveness that comes from truly committing to fostering a culture of full employee engagement. (Full disclosure: Bombardier is not a client of ...
Tags: employee engagement | leadership development | teambuilding | Bombardier | change management |

... is evidence that engaging with employees really can have a dramatic impact on these costs. According to research companies are reporting big gains from engagement based activities, including: An increase in employee retention - 31% A decrease in time to productivity for new hires - 24% An increase in employee engagement - 31% A decrease in averaged annual sickness and absenteeism - 50% Doing nothing is not an option: There is also growing research based evidence to support the view that the validation for successful engagement practices is compelling. A recent report reveals that just four in 10 (European) employees are firmly committed to remaining in their organisation over ...
Tags: employee engagement | business case | engagement activity | engagement based |

... Social media enhances that external communication. It's time for all to apply that reality to their critically important internal audience as well -- employees. Leading edge companies use social media to enhance employee engagement Companies that are on the leading edge of technology already use social media in various ways to enhance employee engagement. Best Buy, for example, integrated an internal social networking site with many components aimed at increasing employee communication and collaboration. Blogs, wikis, social platforms, intranets, and even instant messaging are components used by leading edge companies like Best Buy, British Telecon, Cisco, and more. Corporate culture is key ...
Tags: Social media | Communication | Collaboration | Engaged workforce | Employee engagement | Problem solving |

... your full support. 7. Measuring your success. Nothing is perfect, and nothing should be set in stone, so it is important that your company have tools to measure your employee engagement initiatives and programs. Create a reasonable time frame, solicit feedback and change what needs to be changed, tweak what needs to be tweaked. As your company grows adding new staff, new products/services or new locations, make sure you adjust your engagement program to align with your company's new strategy. Your company is dynamic and your company programs need to change adapt and grow with your organization. The more engaged your ... just showing up, putting in their time, getting their work done and spending their free time dreaming of going to work for one of your competitors? Today it is imperative that company leaders are committed to providing formal engagement opportunities with all of their employees. Employee turnover has a huge, negative impact on your company's profitability, quality control and company morale. In addition high employee turnover correlates directly to high customer turnover. The more turn, churn and burn you have with your employees, the more likely your customers are to shop your competitors, the lower the quality of your product/service and ...
Tags: employee | engagement | productivity | turnover | profitability |

... Wikipedia states: "An 'engaged employee' is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about his or her work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their organisation's interests" I ask you then: How can someone be ully involved in, and enthusiastic about, his or her work when they don't actually ...
Tags: Employee Engagement | employee communications | business objectives | strategy | leadership | goals |

... with below-average engagement" and energy (my additional remark). Given the research by iPEC, the first place to start would then be to assess the executive team's level of engagement and energy BEFORE launching an employee engagement initiative. BEWARE, not all employee engagement surveys are created equal. Many actually miss the mark. Just asking for employee opinions will not necessarily result in prioritized, actionable results that will drive company and employee performance and engagement! Asking for employee opinions naturally sounds like a good idea - which CEO would not want to know what is going on in the minds of his or her employees? However, most engagement surveys only ask ...
Tags: employee engagement | productivity | energy | engagement | leadership | success |

... life, or a job of work. And that's where the challenge lies. In 2010 the employee engagement situation in UK businesses looked like it needed attention with the latest Gallup Engagement Survey revealing that only 24% of UK employees are engaged with their jobs. Also an online study of 2000 organisations by the Hay Group revealed that HR managers now rate employee motivation and engagement as their number one concern. But there is also research showing that less than 20% of managers have received any training in engagement skills or how to bring out the best in their people. So if this is where we ... that leaves one component (or dimension) missing. Spiritual (or Motivational) engagement - Our personal values, beliefs and drives that generate the energy to engage with life and work. Arguably the most important dimension of all, as our motivation is indelibly linked with our emotions and the way we feel day to day. Research into engagement has revealed that the emotional climate in an organisation has a profound affect on employee engagement. In fact it has been suggested that 'Climate' (or atmosphere in the workplace) is responsible for 80% of the negative or positive effects on engagement. Simply put, people enjoy working with and for people who ...
Tags: employee engagement | engagement survey | listening sklls | idea sharing |

... been able to generate over the years. Hendrick says that due to the lack of employee turnover, the company has suffered only minimal losses during the current recession. So the answer to the question about employee engagement comes roaring through as you listen to Hendrick's experience. Take care of your employees and their resulting engagement keeps them with you even in tough times. Further, this matter of employee engagement is not just the soup of the day; it sees an organization to success over the long haul. Becoming an engaged employee is not like putting on your coat; it's not a status you achieve overnight ... of employee engagement is not just the soup of the day; it sees an organization to success over the long haul. Becoming an engaged employee is not like putting on your coat; it's not a status you achieve overnight. It's also not the responsibility of any one area or department of an organization. Every nook a cranny must work together in order for the employees to begin to become engaged or committed to the company. You don't become engaged with the organization immediately after you get a nice raise or some other perc. Over time however, when managers model engagement themselves ...
Tags: engaged employees | motivation | business success | positive human relationships | teamwork | |

... forget the influence you have on others. As a boss, supervisor, or leader, your attitude affects your employees. Your employees' attitudes affect your customers, and your customers are the lifeblood of your business. If you want to gain employee cooperation and increase teamwork, here are three things you can do hold them in high esteem, make them feel valued, and increase their engagement. Here's how. Respect I remember when I was a line worker in a factory, and I had a boss who did not show much respect. I recall setting a meeting with him because I was so frustrated about ... way to make this happen is to keep them in the loop about what is happening in the company. Tell them the reasons for the decisions that are being made. When possible ask for their input, opinions, ideas and feedback, and publicly acknowledge employee ideas and contributions. When I was finishing my master's degree I asked employees the question, what could your boss do to become a better boss? Unequivocally two answers overshadowed every other answer: show respect and listen. A good way to know if you are successful as a manager is not only by employee performance, but by their engagement.
Tags: employee engagement | employee motivation | employee empowerment | workplace communication |

... tools in an integrated way where they have real meaning. Managers often feel a lack of control, particularly when a major change process is taking place. Rather than trying to control the process with zealous compliance, leaders need to embrace change and encourage employees to use it meaningfully to improve engagement. Companies are responding to the growing interest and investment in social media applications, to support the attraction and retention of talent. A few companies are taking a leadership position as visionaries by embedding social media as an integral part of their employee engagement strategy. ... a supporting environment for recruits and utilising employee networks to reach those candidates that are not active job seekers. Increasingly, Australian companies, such as Fosters (@FostersCareers), are building strong talent management teams, adept at using LinkedIn and other social media tools to attract top talent, inviting potential employees to learn more about a career with their business. Recruiters are often online for a period, with "Ask and Expert" segment, to answer any questions that applicants may have. Level 3 - Engagement Social networking sites can be great tools for attraction, recruitment, communication, connection and engagement. Social media has also created new business ...
Tags: social media | social networking | social media policy | employee engagement | Strategic HR | |

... go on. Pressure to perform damages employee engagement. It robs employees of pride and encourages breaks in rules to achieve the results. It puts results in front of ethics. With the best of intentions your senior leaders may be creating a monster with MBO, stretch goals, pay-for-performance, and performance appraisals. This monster will damage employee engagement and stunt performance improvement. These are the exact opposite of the original desired outcomes. It is time to eliminate the growth of MBO and to reverse its course before it consumes more employee engagement and valuable resources. We must especially protect the engagement of employees and must especially protect ...
Tags: Management by Objective | Employee Engagement | Cheating |

... the kitchen." Any effort to reduce poor behaviors in the workplace must include a two pronged approach. Help with coaching for improved communication style but remove the root causes. We need both to protect the motivation and engagement ... say things they regret. They damage relationships. All they really wanted was to be able to do their job to the best of their ability but something got in the way. Something triggered a negative reaction. One of my clients has an employee who is demanding and a high driver. He easily confronts people and often offends them because he is so demanding and wants to look good. He wants to do the best for his clients. His co-workers get offended. Certainly, his ...
Tags: Incivility | Employee Engagement | Leadership |

At a recent conference while delivering a keynote presentation about my Values and System Leadership Model I was asked a question, "What do you do with that one 'bad apple' who just won't listen and who won't change?" We have all heard the expression "one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch" and I agree that is true but only if you do nothing and allow the bad apple to do the spoiling. Leaving the "bad apple" alone is not leadership. Taking action is leadership and so the question remains, what does a leader do? Define "bad apple" We must first define "bad apple." I am sure we can all agree that this is someone whose behavior is inappropriate. What is inappropriate behavior? Let's agree it ...
Tags: Employee Engagement | uncivil behaviors | respect | leadership |

... the UK do not observe any direct association with employee engagement and improved organisational performance. This is a challenging perspective to have when organisations such as John Lewis, Sainsbury's, Tesco's and O2, to name but a few, have achieved demonstrable cross-organisation improvements on the basis of solid engagement practice. And so to retention - the ability for an organisation to keep the talent within its workforce. Employee engagement is proven to improve the likelihood of workers staying in their role or with the company for significantly long than employees that are not exposed to engagement practices. If attracting and retaining talent is an area ... , enhance teamwork and overall business performance, engagement practices should be woven into the fabric of all organisations. This is not the case. A disappointing 39% of SME's in the UK do not observe any direct association with employee engagement and improved organisational performance. This is a challenging perspective to have when organisations such as John Lewis, Sainsbury's, Tesco's and O2, to name but a few, have achieved demonstrable cross-organisation improvements on the basis of solid engagement practice. And so to retention - the ability for an organisation to keep the talent within its workforce. Employee engagement is proven to improve the likelihood of ...
Tags: employee engagement | retaining talent | business growth | | engagement practices |

... the workplace is marginalized by true communication and a corporate culture that rewards the pursuit of truth, crafting compensation plans that truly motivate employees to maximize their contributions becomes a lot easier. All of this is hard work, and needs to be a central part of all managers' days. Full employee engagement is "Job One," to borrow an old Ford advertising slogan, and is the Foundation of Excellence that solves so many of today's workforce problems. ... the people in them. Involve the employees in this process, as they have information about performance requirements that managers don't. Match available employee skill sets to jobs, reassigning people as needed. Keep engaging people in the process, asking for feedback and reporting progress. Actively share goals and the corporate thinking behind them. A well-run assessment process will help make employee interactions and decision-making more objective. You then use the assessment results to launch better, sustained ongoing engagement based on true two-way communication that builds and maintains trust, and focuses on actionable tasks and results. In short, pursue the truth ...
Tags: compensation plans | pay plan effectiveness | employee engagement | pay for performance plans |

... also fails to recognize the value of an engaged workforce to positive customer interactions. To the workforce, it can feel as though they are being treated like toddlers who must be protected from themselves. Or worse, such an approach, like the first one, can indicate a lack of trust in employee judgment or an inability or unwillingness to engage in discussion and training. 3. Free access with the understanding that use is monitored: Unlike the others, this approach offers guidelines and places trust in employees to use social media responsibly and to accept consequences for failing to do so. It recognizes ... or unwillingness to engage in discussion and training. 3. Free access with the understanding that use is monitored: Unlike the others, this approach offers guidelines and places trust in employees to use social media responsibly and to accept consequences for failing to do so. It recognizes the influence that every employee brings to bear with customers and the public, and chooses to expect the best but certainly can come with the proviso "as a leadership team if we feel that a one-on-one conversation is required to clarify our standards we will follow-up with you directly". This approach does ...
Tags: Social media | Social Media Policies | Leadership | Engaged workforce | Employee engagement |