Engagement as a Retention Tool In Your Role as Manager and Employee Mimi Darmstadter My Life’s Work Coaching and Consulting LLC.

Every truth has four corners: as a “teacher” I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three. — Confucius

Today’s Objectives- Develop stronger appreciation and understanding for the important relationship between workforce engagement and individual/organizational success Critically assess your organization’s engagement effectiveness and identify “taking action” opportunities Identify your own criteria for professional engagement and prioritize “taking action” opportunities

About Mimi Darmstadter Owner - My Life's Work - Coaching & Consulting Executive and career transition coaching Human Resources consulting 20+ years in Human Resources Education BA University of Michigan MA University of Chicago PCC Coaching Certification - Georgetown University Fitness instructor (fun fact!)

SETTING CONTEXT

Engagement = extent to which an employee expends discretionary effort in alignment with company goals, willingness to go the “extra mile” Engaged employees = passion for/personal meaning in work, profound connection to their company, drive “forward” (energy, innovation) Not engaged employees = checked out, sleep walking through days, limited energy and passion Activity disengaged employees = unhappy AND acting out, undermining other’s efforts Helpful Terminology

Did You Know? The Research In 5+ Minutes Engagement among US workers holding steady at 30% 2/3rds of working Americans have been disengaged for past 12 years Significant negative impact on key performance measures across different organization types (e.g. customer loyalty, profitability, productivity, turnover, safety incidents, shrinkage, absenteeism, patience, quality) Actively disengaged more likely to jump ship Sources: Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace Gallup 2012 Q 12® Meta-Analysis: Relationship Between Engagement At Work and Organizational Outcomes

Did You Know? The Research – In 5+ Minutes Organizational trends Executives/managers more engaged Only 41% of employees know their company’s mission Disengagement highest among service (lowest/declining), transportation, and manufacturing industries Marginal differences among generations though engagement at career beginning/end trumps middle Employees of supervisors who focus on employee strengths more engaged (61% vs. 2%) Source: Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace

Happy Employees versus Engaged Ones Indulging employees is not substitute for engaging them Workplace engagement levels eclipse the effect of policies (e.g. hours, flextime, vacation) Working remotely has some advantage when it comes to employee engagement (< 20%)

Important Facts…Because - Employee engagement is a business imperative Organizations with high employee motivation scores are about 60% more likely to be in top quartile for business health De-motivated, actively disengaged employees cost the economy up to $355 billion annually in lost productivity Managers from purgatory (e.g. those who inspire active disengagement) cost companies $450 and $500 billion annually Sources: Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace McKinsey & Company 2012 Report: State of Human Capital

An exercise in role swapping- organization &/or employee

First, your organizational hat…

Employee Engagement: The Organizational Lens Do your employees: 1.Know what is expected of them? 2.Have the materials and equipment to do their work right? 3.Have opportunities to do what they do best everyday? 4.Receive recognition and praise (in last 7 days)? 5.Experience “care” as a person from supervisor or someone else? 6.Experience encouragement to grow and develop?

Employee Engagement: The Organizational Lens Do your employees: 7.Experience that opinions matter/count? 8.Understand the connection between the company’s mission their jobs? 9.Work with people who are committed to quality? 10.Have a “best” friend at work? 11.Have “progress” conversations at least every six months? 12.Have opportunities to learn and grow? Source: Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace

Organizational Retention Assessment How are job expectations and performance objectives clarified and conveyed to employees? What is the “resource” health of your organization? How are employee strengths known and leveraged? What selection criteria support managerial hires who reward/recognize, support employee growth and development, provide regular feedback, convey caring? What signals a developmental and participatory culture within your organization? How is quality embedded within your organization’s culture and instilled in employees? How do team and social events contribute to employee “connection” and “friendship?”

“Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day” Questions Organizational priorities/your priorities? Organizational gaps/your gaps? Organizational opportunities/your opportunities?– consider competency, community, contribution.

Now your employee/recruit hat

Employee Engagement: My Lens (as an employee) My [present and future] relationship to: 1.Knowing what is expected of me 2.Having the materials and equipment to do my work right 3.Having opportunities to do what I do best everyday 4.Receiving recognition and praise regularly 5.Experiencing “care” as a person from supervisor or someone else 6.Experiencing encouragement to grow and develop

Employee Engagement: My Lens (as an employee) My [present and future] relationship to: 7.Experiencing that my opinions matter/count 8.Understanding the connection between the company’s mission and my job 9.Working with people who are committed to quality 10.Having a “best” friend at work 11.Having “progress” conversations at least every six months 12.Having opportunities to learn and grow Source: Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace

My “Rome” Questions My distinctions between “attraction/seduction” and engagement (e.g. happy versus connected) My unique “engagement” values, priorities, needs My opportunities?– consider competency, community, contribution – today and tomorrow

To Learn More… Gallup 2012 Report: State of the American Workplace McKinsey & Company 2012 Report: State of Human Capital 2012 Towers-Watson Global Workforce Study 12: The Elements of Great Managing by Rodd Wagner Ph.D. and James K. Harter Love ‘em or Lose ‘em: Getting Good People to Stay by Beverly Kaye

THANK YOU! For additional questions & consulting-coaching inquiries: Mimi Darmstadter