“THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION AN EMPLOYEE FEELS TOWARDS THEIR ORGANIZATION, WHICH TENDS TO INFLUENCE THEIR BEHAVIORS AND LEVEL OF EFFORT IN WORK ACTIVITIES.”

–       The Business Dictionary

IN OTHER WORDS…..

THE MORE ENGAGEMENT AN EMPLOYEE HAS THE MORE EFFORT THEY PUT FORTH.

Employee Engagement is quickly becoming a “buzzword”, again, in today’s business world.  According to a recent study from Deloitte, 78% of business leaders say it is both an urgent and important priority!  Employers want growth and employees are the main drivers of that growth.  Gallup has volumes of statistics from their own studies and according to their statistics ALL the core business measures – profitability, productivity, customer satisfaction, quality, retention and sales – are significantly higher at companies with a higher concentration of engaged employees.  According to these leaders, employee engagement has become the new currency in today’s economy.

One problem though:  The majority of employees are disengaged.  70% in fact.  That translates to a half-a-trillion dollar problem in our country alone!  THIS is why employee engagement has opened the eyes of today’s leaders to its importance and potential impact on all businesses.

Key factors of engagement are as follows:

• Nature of the job (is it interesting work)
• Trust & communication between employees & management
• The ability to see how one’s own work contributes to the organization
• Opportunities for growth
• Level of pride in working there

Let’s explore some ways to start tackling those items in our own teams.

12 Questions to Answer

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials & equipment that I need in order to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work that encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission or purpose of my company make me feel that my job is important?
9. Do I have a best friend at work?
10. In the past six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
11. This past year, have I had the opportunities at work to learn and grow?
12. “Are my fellow employees committed to doing good work?”

 (*The Gallup Q 12 Questions)

John Tuggle was a running back from the University of California who was the very last player drafted in the 1983 NFL Draft. That slot had become a bit of a “60 seconds of fame” spot with a parade, all expenses paid trip, TV interviews and more. But practically ZERO chance of ever making an NFL roster.

John was anything but irrelevant to his teammates and to his coach, the crusty, sometimes caustic and abrasive Bill Parcells. Tuggle, to Parcells and his teammates, was a very special guy and athlete. Against seemingly insurmountable odds he made the final cut and was a full-fledged member of the New York Giants football team. He became a special teams star and one of the MVP’s of the team as a result. To quote Parcells “He had attributes you couldn’t see. John had an indomitable spirit. He was very inspirational to me as his coach.”

But barely one year later, John Tuggle was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer that would ultimately take his life. John died in his sleep August 30, 1986. But clearly he and the lessons and examples he set as a young man have lived on. If you truly want to be moved and inspired, take a look at the You Tube recording of Coach Parcells being interviewed by ESPN for their 30 For 30 series. And have some Kleenex handy.

Sometimes lessons we need to learn come from the most unlikely sources and not always through tragic circumstances. One key lesson: GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM, ALL OF THEM! Often the most “hidden” and irrelevant can turn out to be your MVP and role model.

ESPN Films 30 for 30 short – “The Irrelevant Giant”

It’s an old, out-of-print, book now, Change Master: Principles for Mastering Change that was published in 1995 (almost 20 years ago) co-authored by Charles I. Merrick and Kay Hunley Titchenal.   Some nearly 20 years later, change is still the word that we hear over and over, often driven by world events, new technology, or internal capabilities. So often change is something to blame – something that happens to us – and yet change can also be something we instigate or desire.   Webster defines change (as a verb) to mean “to be or cause to be different” and that is ultimately the outcome of change.

The book mentioned above begins with the following:

Anticipating a game of bobbing for apples, the tub stands ready with a single apple floating on the surface.   But let’s suppose the game is postponed and that on each subsequent day the number of apples in the tub is doubled until, on the fifteenth day, the tub cannot float any more apples. On what day was the tub half full of apples?

The answer, of course, is the fourteenth day. It took fourteen days to fill the first half of the tub’s surface, but only twenty-four hours for the tub to be completely choked with apples.

The Change Master will not miss the significance of the story of the tub of apples, for therein lies an appreciation for the basic attributes of change. Change begins slowly, usually with a single, seemingly insignificant event. It appears deceptively manageable until all at once there is no denying its existence and overwhelming effect as the change moves faster and faster to overtake the familiar.

Realistically, much of the change in our organizations is driven by unexpected consequences, changes in regulations, loss of a leader, the marketplace, or a world event that compromises our product or service. So, in all honesty, how can a leader be held responsible for what change can do to us. Ah, but the real issue is whether we allow change to “do to us” or we embrace it from a solid leadership stance and master the impact.

That sounds a bit intimidating – that leaders can master the impact – yet there are real life examples over and over in our lives that demonstrate those are the very times that true leadership capability is exposed. Those organizations who have best weathered the storm (whether it is to ride out the impact of the change, spin off the organization or product/service into something different, or to bring the change into the organization creating a new and re-energized possibility) have “it”.  All of these scenarios can be successful or devastating. Research and leading consultants all agree that there is a key component to the success factor – “it” is the leader, the leadership team, and the ultimate company culture that the leaders and their teams have created.

What allows someone to master the impact of change goes back to kindergarten days – when we had that special day of show and tell. That was when we go to take center stage amongst our classmates (our newest friends) and show them something that was important to us, tell them why we valued it, and let them in on how they can value it as well.   That, in a nutshell, is what a good leader does. Notice the definition of change is to be or cause to be different. We can take control of that as a leader.

The outcome, however, rests squarely on the shoulders of effective leaders. There are all kinds of lists of effective leadership – yet there are some basic underpinnings that are encompassed in every list. Patrick Lencioni, in his 2012 book entitled “The Advantage” , suggests that healthy (not just smart) organizations are those that will become and remain successful. As he notes on page 5 of that book: At the core, organizational health is about integrity, but not in the ethical or moral way that integrity is defined so often today. An organization has integrity – is healthy – when it is whole, consistent and complete, that is: when its management operations, strategy, and culture fit together and make sense.

His is yet another reminder to leaders that the basis upon which an organization is built is ultimately trust – trust in the leadership group (the C-suite, managers and supervisors).   Trust is defined as: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing. Trust is automatically invested in the leadership-and is validated, or not, by how leadership conducts itself in good as well as bad times.

Good leaders are trustworthy – what they say and do are in alignment. Their vulnerability and humility is as important to them as their courage and pride. A good leader will revert back to the kindergarten days and follow that model:

1. This is what I value – and let me show you
2. This is why I value what I do
3. This is why I want to share it with you in the hope you, too, will find it valuable

Leaders need to define what they value – in word and deed. Sometimes a leader is the entrepreneur that is the founder of an organization; sometimes they inherited the position; sometimes they are invited in to rescue the organization. The common thread, upon which trust rests, is the passion they have for the organization as a whole, not merely the title and position.   Do they demonstrate that they value the organization, that they value a culture of integrity, commitment, accountability in themselves and those who lead with them?

A leader must not only show, but must communicate and personally demonstrate the values they espouse and then take the necessary steps to invite those out of the organization that repeatedly choose not to understand or embrace that which is of value to the whole.

In organizations with great leaders, when change comes swooping in and begins to challenge the familiar, it can and will be met head on with intelligence, experience and new ideas – all of which are firmly anchored in the basic principles and values of the organization. That anchor of integrity, practiced from the bottom up and top down, will prevent the world’s mythical sirens from overtaking the ship thereby leading to panic and destruction. The show and tell, built upon common trust in the leader and their team, will allow any organization to come out, perhaps with a few scars, but nevertheless whole and healthy on the other side of the change that was thrust upon them.

The challenge to any leader: How good are you at “show and tell?”

Thanks, Kay, for your two cents this month! And for all reading this, next month we will be announcing the changes here at GCI. As always, our goal is to MAKE A DIFFERENCE, both at work and as a net result, life away from work. We want to help make you have even better organizations, with more effective leaders and teams. And in the process we hope to help reduce the stress and increase the smiles in the workplace. We all need more of that!

Change for many of us is unpredictable, stressful, often unplanned and sometimes downright scary. We’ve briefly touched on that the beginning of this year. Just as I was about to launch this month’s newsletter a real world reminder of that came into my e-mail inbox, via Linked In of all places. So rather than follow the planned path of delving into change in a more structured, business based way let me share the very real story of my long lost friend Steve K and what he learned that might help all of us.

Steve K was part of a circle of friends I had waaaay back in my days at the University of Missouri. Steve, or Kort as I knew him, along with my roommate Steve M (LOTS of Steve’s in this circle!) were doing something together on a regular basis. And the two Steve’s even worked together at a part-time job. Steve K was a regular guy with extraordinary capabilities intellectually if he chose to use them. But often, based on my memory, might have been labeled a bit of an under achiever by some. I never saw him that way. I just saw my friend. Kort(his nickname) knew how to have fun, laugh, live and do what he wanted to a large degree. He was also not afraid to go his own way. Kort loved to engage in physical work and activities, somewhat hiding the intellectual side that existed as well. Steve K was also competitive in things he cared about. He played rugby when rugby wasn’t cool or even known to any degree in this country. He liked working out with weights. And he enjoyed doing small construction type projects if I recall. One thing for sure, he was definitely a loyal friend. Our reconnection this week is a perfect example of that.

The last time I talked to Steve/Kort he was working for an investment firm and had moved from his hometown of Columbia, MO to Eastern New York in order to build up his business and open new offices. I heard bits and pieces over the years through our other friend named Steve M how he was doing, what he was doing, etc. As typically happens as the years pass, we all lost touch to a large degree. Then my old roommate and I reconnected the same way, Linked In. We caught up, stayed in touch and I even visited him at his last stopping point in Omaha, NE. We both wondered, “Whatever happened to Kort? I heard he was sick and might even have passed away.” So, yours truly began the search to try and find him. Over the last 2-3 years I’ve called phone numbers known, e-mail addresses uncovered, but never with a response of any kind. I was beginning to assume the worst. Then suddenly, as I was preparing for a week long business trip out of state………guess who sent me “The longest e-mail I’ve ever written in my life. Here’s my phone number. Call me.” Once I got done laughing until my sides hurt, I did just that.

Kort had indeed expanded and grown his business, to seven offices with many employees and I’m sure a financially rewarding return on that. The highly competitive Kort had kicked into gear in the business world! Then, per his story to me, everything changed. And it changed unexpectedly, quickly and with very little time to have a “Plan B”. Steve had indeed been diagnosed with cancer. And from what little I know so far, had a heck of a fight on his hands with that. At the same time, he had a business he ran very “proactively” and in an extremely hands-on manner. And according to my friend, in hindsight perhaps he had been the driver to a fault. Once he became sick and had the fight of his life on his hands, the business began to slow down, shrink and eventually dry up. To quote Steve, “I got sick, lost everything and then 5-6 years ago started a small construction business back in my home area. Now I’ve got everything I need or could ask for in my life. I’m still with my wife Julie and we couldn’t be happier.” From this classic short, sweet, to the point communication style so typical of Kort he had imparted his wisdom.

Sooooooo….without further ado, here’s what Kort learned and I have been reminded of at a very appropriate time for me.

• Change can be an invaluable experience. Like steel when subjected to fire, it can strengthen us and make us stronger.
• Change can help us refocus on what is truly important and cut through the “stuff” we begin to accumulate physically and mentally as we go through life.
• Change can help us clarify and find our true vision.
• Change can sometimes help us figure out where we really should be, what we should do.
• Change is capable of helping us really develop a feeling of gratitude and awareness of where we’ve been and where we’re at right now.
• Change certainly can help us all to grow in the area of confidence, recognition of achievement no matter the obstacles…and much, much more.

Controllable change, in business and in life, is certainly the preferred path. THAT type of change we should be able to manage or get better at. And it should be welcomed for many of the reasons mentioned above. Uncontrollable, sudden change as this story entails to a large degree can often be a catalyst for even greater things as well. We just need to figure out how to manage our responses and reactions to it. It sounds like my long lost friend Kort has done that. Here’s hoping you all are able to accomplish that as well in your own way.

I had the pleasure of paying a visit to a client who is located in Rochester, Minnesota. I was scheduled to be there all week, staying in a hotel just down the street from the client’s offices. And of course, being there all week, you tend to see some of the same faces each day as you leave the hotel in the morning. As all of you probably know, Rochester is also the home of Mayo Clinic. You don’t usually end up at Mayo unless something serious is in need of some very special attention. I couldn’t help but notice some of the same people and certainly a repeat of the same conversations, each day. One group that was there for the hotel breakfast buffet and the free shuttle to the clinic consisted of a couple from the Chicago suburbs, another from a small town in Iowa and a couple from Dallas, Texas. They were there for several days, sitting together, exchanging pleasantries as if they’d know each other for years. I couldn’t help but notice and overhear as I grabbed some coffee each morning near where they all sat.

The thing that still stands out is the camaraderie, the care and love, the support and the laughter they all shared. Others were doing the same. While total strangers before, they were sharing so much of themselves as they connected with their new friends.

Maybe they’ll stay in touch, maybe not. But while they were there they were all on the same page. The one thing that still rings out as if I just heard it was “Good luck today. Hope everything goes well”. Over and over again, like it was scripted. I was even approached by one of that group as I got coffee one morning, asking me “Are you here with someone going to the clinic? Are you here alone?” HOW nice, how thoughtful and how unfiltered was that? It really touched me that someone clearly there for some rather serious health issues with a family member was reaching out to this stranger just there to do a little business and to grab a cup of coffee for the road. And after I explained that no, I was just there to work with a client, I still got the obligatory “Hope you have a good day today” as I walked out the front door. Along with the warmest, most genuine smile you can imagine. It stopped me in my tracks for a moment. And I was definitely fighting back the tears as I exited the hotel.

Obviously, some great reminders came to me through this experience. And perhaps, during this holiday season and as we close out 2013, it will help some of you as well. Most people are basically good. They are vulnerable and their lives are not perfect either. But the heartfelt love and support of others, both old and new to us, can go a long way in helping us make it through whatever we come up against.

The role of recognition and recognizing employees has been significantly under-appreciated as an important driver of business success, profitability, and performance in most organizations.

According to the most research, 99.4 percent of today’s employees expect to be recognized when they do good work, while other research has found that only 12 percent of employees strongly agree that they are consistently recognized in ways that are important to them and nearly three times as many (34 percent) disagree or strongly disagree that they are recognized in ways that are meaningful to them.

Additional findings on employees that DO receive employee recognition in their workplace:

–          5 times more likely to feel valued

–          6 times more likely to invest in the company

–          7 times more likely to stay with the company

–          11 times more likely to feel completely committed

Towers Perrin conducted some research that showed committed employees deliver 57 percent more effort than uncommitted ones.  It has also become clear in recent years that there is a definite link between employee recognition and employee engagement, satisfaction and loyalty. Employee Recognition is a hugely significant driver in the employee engagement, customer satisfaction, profitability equation. The end result is enhanced bottom-line success for the organization.

In a study conducted by the Corporate Executive Board , it was clear that recognition was one of the top methods for increasing employee retention. And in a study by Towers Perrin, in 2008, “…companies with high employee engagement had a 19% increase in operating income and a 28% increase in earnings per share. In contrast, companies with poor employee engagement scores had declining operating incomes and an 11% drop in earnings per share.”

Based on all these research findings, it is obvious that internal employee engagement directly impacts the external customer experience and their relationships.  Without true employee engagement, satisfaction and loyalty, much of what is invested in the customer experience is wasted.

The most common recognition areas are:

• Years of service – 58 percent
• Going above and beyond with an unexpected work project – 48 percent
• Successful performance relating to the organizational financial bottom-line –  43 percent
• Exemplary behavior that represents organizational values – 37 percent
• Completion of regular work projects with high-quality results – 9 percent
• Completion of regular work projects at a pace faster than usual – 2 percent

Management training shows how to establish, write and communicate clear job performance expectations effectively and create a solid basis for appraisal and performance management efforts.

Setting performance expectations is absolutely one of the most difficult jobs for most managers. Why? Because few managers or supervisors ever receive this type of in-depth training.

A mutual understanding of what managers expect from employees is essential for improved performance, employee success, and good employee relations overall. Not to mention worker retention, attendance and “presenteeism”.

Without clear job expectations, employees can:

•  Waste effort due to a lack of priorities
•  Waste time with unnecessary work
•  Endure increased stress due to uncertainty

With clear job expectations, employees can:

•    Understand what is important and what they should be doing
•    Understand why they are doing their work
•    Know how they are doing and when to ask for support
•    Recognize where performance improvement can occur

Too often performance problems revolve around this question and this answer: 

Boss:  “Why isn’t my employee doing what needs to do be done?”  Employee:  “But, I thought I was doing a good job.”

Poorly defined performance expectations leave the employee questioning how to achieve job performance goals and leaving them no way to track their efforts to meet job expectations.  The result is both employees and their managers  becoming frustrated.  The manager is frustrated because the employee is not doing the things that need to be done.  The employee is frustrated because they think they are doing the best they can and the boss is still not satisfied with the work they are doing.

When results are easy to measure (for example: parts per hour or sales volume per month), defining expectations seems fairly straight forward.  But what about adding in error rates, new customers, profit margins on sales, or other issues?  All of a sudden, it gets more complicated.

Now, add in the more subjective, but extremely important, performance criteria such as interpersonal skills, team work, quality customer service, and others.  How can managers effectively communicate these expectations?  

If managers cannot effectively communicate all job expectations,
they cannot expect the employee to meet those expectations.

HOW to Set Employee Expectations

As much as an employee needs a job description to know what her role is, she might need expectations of achievement to sharpen her focus. Although every company will have its own desired level of performance from employees, getting the best work out of employees requires knowledge of each employee’s strengths and techniques to motivate them. Employees usually start a job wanting to do well; managers should work with them to help them to bring their enthusiasm to work every day.

–       Set job-specific goals tailored to the position and employee. A list of job duties is a starting point to develop a series of targets for employees to meet. Especially in long-standing positions where the role of the employee is clear, the company will know what achievement levels are best for the company. These levels might have to be adjusted, however, to match the skill set and experience of the person in the position.

–       Allow new employees time to get settled in the position. It’s an unfortunate reality that high expectations placed on star hires don’t always pan out; giving new staff time to ease into the position and mentoring from a senior co-worker will avoid disappointment. Set early expectations to be achievable; instead of a long list of sales or productivity targets, be realistic about what’s possible and ask your staff to meet only a few key objectives during the first three months. Remember new hires are unlikely to ask a lot of questions until they feel comfortable in their jobs.

–       Make expectations part of an ongoing conversation. Meeting with employees on a regular basis, once a month at least, to discuss goals and progress will help employees understand t the employer’s expectations. Regular meetings help managers assess the workload of each employee and can adjust it if necessary to help employees meet the company’s goals. Learning what interests and engages employees can help managers to distribute work in a way that promotes enthusiasm for completing tasks. Expressing confidence in each employee’s ability and reinforcing past achievement is key to maintaining employee motivation.

–       Develop short and long term goals. Specific targets for employees are easier to meet than vague platitudes about stronger sales or greater productivity. Remember that employees work daily in their jobs and therefore might have a better idea of what goals are realistic and achievable. Maintaining an open dialogue about workload is a good way to assess employee capability and to find targets they can meet. Specific targets allow for clear tracking of employee performance.

–       Exhibit role model behavior when it comes to performance. Set goals for your own performance and share them as much as possible with employees. This demonstrates you are not simply managing in a “top-down” fashion; you expect as much from your own work as from your workforce.

While it is possible to measure engagement itself through employee surveys, this does not assist in identifying areas for improvement within organizations. There are a range of factors, more commonly known as drivers, that are thought to increase overall engagement. By managing the drivers, an organization can effectively manage engagement levels of its employees. Drivers such as communication, performance clarity and feedback, organizational culture, rewards and recognition, relationships with managers and peers, career development opportunities and knowledge of the organization’s goals and vision are some of the factors that facilitate employee engagement. Some points from the most recent research out there are presented below:

Employee perceptions of job importance – According to a 2006 study by Gerard Seijts and Dan Crim, “…an employee’s attitude toward the job’s importance and the company had the greatest impact on loyalty and customer service then all other employee factors combined.”

Employee clarity of job expectations – “If expectations are not clear and basic materials and equipment are not provided, negative emotions such as boredom or resentment may result, and the employee may then become focused on surviving more than thinking about how he can help the organization succeed.”

Regular feedback and dialogue with superiors – “Feedback is the key to giving employees a sense of where they’re going, but many organizations are remarkably bad at giving it.” “‘What I really wanted to hear was ‘Thanks. You did a good job.’ “

Quality of working relationships with peers, superiors, and subordinates – “…if employees’ relationships with their managers is fractured, then no amount of perks will persuade the employees to perform at top levels. Employee engagement is a direct reflection of how employees feel about their relationship with the boss.”

Perceptions of the values of the organization – “‘Inspiration and values’ is the most important of the six drivers in our Engaged Performance model. Inspirational leadership is the ultimate perk. In its absence, it is unlikely to engage employees.”

Effective Internal Employee Communications – which convey a clear description of “what’s going on”. “‘If you accept that employees want to be involved in what they are doing then this trend is clear (from small businesses to large global organizations). The effect of poor internal communications is seen at its most destructive in global organizations which suffer from employee annexation – where the head office in one country is buoyant (since they are closest to the action, know what is going on, and are heavily engaged) but its annexes (who are furthest away from the action and know little about what is happening) are disengaged. In the worst case, employee annexation can be very destructive when the head office attributes the annex’s low engagement to its poor performance… when its poor performance is really due to its poor communications.

Employee engagement, also commonly known as worker engagement, is a business management concept. A truly engaged employee is deemed to be one who is fully involved in and enthusiastic about their work. And by definition, if they are more engaged, it is believed they will act in a way that furthers their organization’s interests. According to Scarlett Surveys, “Employee Engagement is a measurable degree of an employee’s positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and organization which profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at work”. With that being the case, then employee engagement is clearly different from employee satisfaction, motivation and organizational culture. So…..how many of your employees are truly “engaged”? And why is that important to you? Read further and let’s find out!

Emotional Attachment

Recent studies indicate just how important emotional attachment is to the engagement equation.  Here are a few key stats to support that.

• 31% of employees are actively engaged in their jobs, 1/3 of the workforce
• 88% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact their organization, compared with 38% of the disengaged
• 72% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively affect customer service versus 27% of the disengaged
•  68% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact costs in their job, compared with just 19% of the disengaged

The end message on emotional attachment is clear. The people who are engaged feel a stronger emotional bond with their organization and in turn demonstrate a willingness to recommend the organization to others and to commit time and effort to help the organization succeed. If true, then it suggests people are motivated first by intrinsic factors like personal growth, working for a common purpose and being part of a team with extrinsic factors such as pay/reward being second to that in importance.

Commitment

A second key piece of the employee engagement puzzle is employees and their level of commitment. Why?

Employees with the highest level of commitment perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave an organization.  A classic example of this is MolsonCoors where it was found that engaged employees were five times less likely than disengaged employees to have a safety incident and seven times less likely to have a lost-time incident. The average cost of a safety incident for engaged workers was $63, versus an average of $392 for a non-engaged employee. Through strengthening employee engagement the company saved $1,721,760 in safety costs in 2002. Also, huge savings were also realized in sales through improved engagement. The difference there meant a savings of $2,104,823.

Okay, enough stats and cases proving what should seem obvious. Clearly, employee engagement can have a HUGE impact on any organization’s bottom line in a variety of ways. In our coming issues we will drill down deeper into some specifics and how to address and improve your employee engagement results. It seems obvious we all should care about that now!