Strategic Trends in Employee Engagement DGR Communications

What Is Engagement? How would you define engagement? Employee engagement is "a heightened emotional connection that an employee feels for his or her organization, that influences him or her to exert greater discretionary effort to his or her work. Conference Board

What Is Engagement Employee Engagement is a measurable degree of an employee's positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and organization that profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at work. Thus engagement is distinctively different from employee satisfaction, motivation and organizational culture. Scarlett Surveys

The Case for Engagement Consistently successful organizations ALWAYS have engaged employees Reinvented organizations get there by engaging their employees Turnover is reduced Goals are met/more positive outcomes Customers, leaders and staff are happier

Levels of Engagement Invested in the Organization Not Committed to the Job Invested in the Organization Committed to the Job Not Invested in the Organization Not Committed to the Job Not Invested in the Organization Committed to the Job

What Engagement Looks Like Doing something you love With people you care about For an organization you believe in For a cause that you are committed to

Tools of Engagement It starts with a plan Make like a waterfall Believe! Full disclosure Shut up and listen Cut your losses Build community

It Starts With a Plan Know where you are going Build a solid strategic plan

Strategic Plan Traditional Metrics Trend in Metrics Employee engagement survey Turnover Retention Trend in Metrics Quality Service Growth Finance

It Starts With a Plan Know where you are going Build a solid strategic plan Focus on results

It Starts With a Plan A good deal of the corporate planning I have observed is like a ritual rain dance; it has no effect on the weather that follows, but those who engage in it think it does. Moreover, it seems to me that much of the advice and instruction related to corporate planning is directed at improving the dancing, not the weather. J. Brian Quinn Dartmouth University

It Starts With a Plan Know where you are going Build a solid strategic plan Focus on results Share the news

It Starts With a Plan Only 27% of a typical company’s employees have access to its strategic plan. Strategy & Leadership Journal Only 5% of employees understand their corporate strategy. Renaissance Solutions

It Starts With a Plan Know where you are going Build a solid strategic plan Focus on results Share the news Execute effectively

It Starts With a Plan Vision without execution is hallucination. Thomas Edison

Make Like a Waterfall Cascade the goals Everyone has a role—do they know it? It’s okay to fail Trust your people Celebrate the wins

Believe! All organizations say “Our employees are our most important asset.” Few act like it. Engagement begins with humble leaders Maslow: People can only truly gain by making other people better off Treat people the way you want to be treated Say “Thank You”

Full Disclosure No hoarding of information or knowledge Share the plan--transparency Clarity is leadership’s responsibility Accountability—at all levels Build trust

Shut Up and Listen Communication is a two-way street Surveys are only a start Rounding Accessibility No skunking Be more interested than interesting Use the input

Cut Your Losses Right people are your only resource Highly successful organizations are committed to keeping, growing and rewarding the right people Immediate specific feedback critical Get those people who don’t agree with the destination to opt out—or opt them out

Build Community Importance of belonging Community of students, employees, families and citizens Employee involvement with community

Build Community Happiness doesn’t come from wealth or money but instead from social relationships, enjoyable work, a sense that life has meaning and belonging to groups. Wall Street Journal