Employee engagement is the latest go-to topic in the leadership training world. Engagement is important, but when I think of it, I think of a transmission in a car. When you engage the transmission, you get the vehicle moving. Is the reason we want engaged employees so we get our business moving? Will that motivate employees? Here’s a thought that’s better than employee engagement.
Consider this: engaged people understand and agree with the mission and goals of a company, so they start out motivated and energized. They feel responsible for their own performance. But involved people take an active role. They implement new ideas and actively participate in business improvement. They feel responsible for the overall company performance. Engagement is part of involvement, but involvement is bigger and better than employee engagement.
Your employees would rather be involved than engaged, too. Being involved is more meaningful. Being involved is more important.
- Inspire people by talking about your company’s mission and their important part in it.
- Involve employees in the decisions that affect their work and environment.
- Get employee input on plans for process improvement and change before you finalize them.
- Share your financial details, and trust them to contribute ways to improve the bottom line.
- Ask your employees to evaluate your management performance! You’ll get the best advice.
- Create growth opportunities for them, and help them progress if they want to.
Finally, construct your employee surveys to find out if people feel involved. For example, ask if they feel that they have an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect their work. Because the feeling of involvement is better than employee engagement. You haven’t peaked yet!