Improving Worker Engagement May Be Easier Than You Think
Much is written and said these days about worker engagement… About the fact that it is inextricably linked to the bottom line (true), that measured levels across the breadth and depth of the workforce are abysmally low (also true), and that there’s not much the ordinary manager can do about it (umm, not true).
To that last point, there are a LOT of things that each of us as business leaders, from the front-line to the corner office can and should be doing to move the needle on worker engagement. One of the biggest pieces of low hanging fruit pertains to removing impediments that keep people from doing their very best work. It has been said that it’s not the mountains we have to climb, but the grains of sand in our shoe that wear us down.
In their 2011 book, The Progress Principle, authors Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer underscore the importance (to engagement) of people being able to own their work, and making regular, visible progress toward the completion of that work. Think about it. Nobody gets up in the morning and says to themselves, “I want to go do some really crummy work today,” or, “I want to be irrelevant in the scheme of things.”
Our experience has been that those managers who, over the long haul, do the best job of tapping into the discretionary effort of their workforce also happen to be the ones doing a good job of enabling their people to do their best work. In other words, they are getting the system off workers’ backs so they can do what they get paid for.
Be the “Iron”
Just as a hot iron when applied to a shirt or blouse on an ironing board will smoothen out the wrinkles in the fabric, wise leaders make it a point to regularly (no, constantly) be on a search and destroy mission for things (some big, but mostly small) that are preventing their people from doing their very best work.
What kinds of things? Things like organizational policies that, though well-intentioned, no longer make sense, outmoded methods, broken equipment, and untrained workers (at every level). If you’re really at a loss for examples in your area, just ask your people. They can probably generate a list in about six nanoseconds.
Rounding
Just as many doctors find it necessary to make hospital “rounds” to visit patients, smart leaders regularly visit with their teammates, either in person (preferable) or via device. We recommend that you conclude every (yes) such interaction with the question: “What can I do to make it easier for you to do your best work? I have the time.”
Proper attention to things that frustrate the effort of your team will not only ratchet up engagement, it will help burnish your reputation as a leader of choice, someone people truly want to work for.
Bill Catlette is an executive coach, seminar leader, keynote speaker and advisor to management. He serves as Co-founder and principal of Contented Cow Partners www.ContentedCows.com, a firm that advises on leadership and workforce matters. Core areas of involvement include the healthcare, eldercare, hospitality, financial services, and transportation/distribution sectors.