WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:03.680 Hey, this is Chris with Hacking Your Leadership. On this week's discussion of 2 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:08.160 employee engagement, I want to talk about the importance of defining what employee engagement 3 00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:13.039 is and actually having an employee engagement strategy. I think a lot of leaders 4 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:19.640 have started using the words employee engagement as a much broader term that can encompass 5 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.679 whatever it is they're experiencing in their organization, so they can say, oh, 6 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:26.039 you know what, yeah, everything, everything's good. That there are 7 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:29.839 a lot of employees out there who aren't quitting their job, who aren't looking 8 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.679 to leave to go elsewhere. They're they're can they're perfectly content would be the 9 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:38.840 right word. It would They would they like more money, sure, but 10 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:43.119 they're paying their bills. The people they work alongside are nice people and they 11 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:48.000 like them, but that doesn't mean that they are engaged. And I think 12 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:51.320 in a lot of organizations, a lot of leaders have started to take that 13 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:56.640 criteria that I just listed and using that to define high employee engagement, when 14 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:02.960 high employee engagement is so much more than that. In order to be able 15 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.159 to impact employe engagement positively, you have to define what it is in a 16 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:11.599 way that is challenging in a way that actually quantifies what you're looking for out 17 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.879 of employees, not just something that allows you to say what I already have 18 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:19.120 is fine, and then you actually have to have a strategy on how to 19 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:25.920 raise it, not just measure it and then react to whatever rise or fall 20 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:27.439 in the in those numbers are, which is what I think happens in a 21 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:33.159 lot of organizations. Employee engagement runs much deeper than just being happy with your 22 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:38.959 pay and the people you work alongside. It's tied with a level of self 23 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:44.239 esteem that comes from believing that the work you do is something that you can 24 00:01:44.280 --> 00:01:49.159 derive respect from that you can, you know, find the ability to get 25 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:53.640 closer to your long term goals and dreams. And it sounds kind of like 26 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.560 ethereal and kind of like out there, but it's true. You know, 27 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:01.359 if all you're doing for your employees is meeting the basic needs, almost like 28 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:06.359 a transactional relationship of hey, yeah, I pay you fairly for the job 29 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:09.520 you're doing, and you're doing the job and you're not looking at leaving because 30 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:15.039 that checks those boxes. That doesn't mean that they're engaged in doing the work 31 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:20.599 in a way that allows them to feel like they are growing themselves and becoming 32 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:25.199 better people and accomplishing long term goals and dreams. I guess it's just so 33 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:30.199 important that we define employee engagement in a way that includes those things because it's 34 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:35.039 harder to reach, but if you but the efforts that it takes to get 35 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:43.080 there will increase productivity and performance and long term happiness. Even if you can't 36 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:46.879 get all the way there for every person, just having that as part of 37 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:50.680 your mindset as a leader will move the needle, so to speak. Yeah, 38 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:53.280 I think it's a great point when I hear the term engagement. To 39 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:57.039 me, it's so much more than just like do I show up and just 40 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:00.240 do the job? And even like do I do the job well? Like 41 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:04.840 I think that that that that's kind of a ticket to entry when it comes 42 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.639 to like really talking about true engagement. But I think when true engagement happens, 43 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:13.680 it's kind of like when when when you've when you've got somebody who is 44 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:16.680 connected to the leader, connected to the work in such a way that they 45 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:21.360 are not just doing them in an expectation. They're they're looking for ways to 46 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:23.719 improve, They're looking for ways to learn, they're looking for ways to grow 47 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:27.960 which means that they're taking some professional risk on certain things or trying things for 48 00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:31.719 the first time. They're open to to to learning, to to to feedback, 49 00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:35.560 to coaching, whatever that might be. Like that, when somebody is 50 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.800 truly engaged, that means that they show up and they really think about like 51 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:42.400 not do not not can I just do the job it's in front of me? 52 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:45.639 But like, how can I make this better? How can I make 53 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:47.039 the thing that I do better? How can I make our team better? 54 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:52.960 How can I how can I help to pour into the culture that we're building, 55 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:54.879 like whatever that might be. But there's a piece of it that is 56 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:00.280 just beyond the basics of do I go to work and it's like, you 57 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:01.520 know, I like my job. It's a cool job. It's a good 58 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:03.719 job. I like it. It's cool. Like if if that's it, 59 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:06.680 then that's that's fine, and like most companies would like to have that. 60 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:11.719 But when we talk about true engagement, it has to build upon that aspect 61 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:14.719 and it has to include some of the things that you spoke about so that 62 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.360 we're so that we're measuring it appropriately and we're really thinking about how do we 63 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:24.079 strive to have the most engaged workforce possible. How do we have the most 64 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.360 engaged team possible. That's going to require a lot of heavy lifting by the 65 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:31.839 leaders, by the organization to constantly not only you know, connect with with 66 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:36.360 with with the people, but then like make adjustments and evolve things in work, 67 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:41.759 in benefits, in opportunities to allow there to be this continual, you 68 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:45.040 know, momentum of building engagement across you know, everyone that's there, right 69 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:47.639 right. I found a quote online from a CEO of a company's name is 70 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:53.079 Robert Losman, and it kind of jumped out at me because it reminds me 71 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:56.160 of something that we've said on this show before. His quote is, as 72 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:00.240 CEO, I employ a management system that centers on three in engagement initiatives, 73 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:05.720 Transparency, alignment and voice or transparency and training associates about our goals as a 74 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:09.879 company, our expectations of them, and how to pursue their goals. In 75 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:14.199 the system, we align objectives behind a shared passion, and we expect employees 76 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:16.360 to challenge us with their voices. I read that and I started thinking, 77 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:19.720 vision, clarity, and support. Right. You know, the alignment part 78 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:23.040 of it is the vision or we align on the same vision, and what 79 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:27.920 we're here to do. Transparency is clarity, and voice is that support. 80 00:05:27.959 --> 00:05:30.600 You expect employees to challenge you with their voice. What you're saying is you're 81 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.800 willing, you know, to meet them where they are and to give them 82 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:36.959 the support they need. In a lot of organizations, if you don't, 83 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:40.600 if you're not willing to support your employees, you don't want them to have 84 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:43.839 a voice because you don't know how to react to that voice in the long 85 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:46.839 term and how to give them what they need. By definition, if you 86 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:48.920 want your employees to challenge you with their voice, it means that you at 87 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:53.040 least have the desire to support them in the things that they need. And 88 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:56.319 so you know, transparency, alignment, and voices. I think they are 89 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:59.920 synonymous with vision, clarity, and support, and it brings things full circle. 90 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:02.720 This is what employees look for to be fully engaged. If you're listening 91 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:05.720 right now and you want some advice on how to be better at this or 92 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:09.000 do this better, I want to go into that, but first I want 93 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:11.720 to get up to word for one of our sponsors. So if you're a 94 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:14.680 leader and you're looking to get better at these things, you don't need to 95 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.759 be a decision make you're within an organization, you just need to own your 96 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:23.000 role as a leader. So transparency doesn't necessarily mean that you have all the 97 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:28.959 answers. It means that you are clear and honest and forthcoming with the information 98 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:34.000 that you do have in a way that allows people to understand the why behind 99 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:38.800 the things they're being asked to do, and they're able to tie that information 100 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:43.279 into the broader goals of the organization. It means that if you are asking 101 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.279 for them to give you feedback, that you're not doing it because you want 102 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:48.160 the credit for asking them. It means you're doing it because you actually want 103 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:53.040 to make changes that will help engage them better in their work. And no 104 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:56.199 matter what it is that they say, either it means you can help them 105 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.639 get that fix, or you can make changes, or you can articulate very 106 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:03.240 clearly why that can't change or why that isn't something you can you can compromise 107 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:08.240 on in a way that lets them leave the conversation thinking I get it. 108 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:12.600 I might not like the answer, but I understand why that is. These 109 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:15.160 are things that you can always do on a local level, regardless of well, 110 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:17.959 what the broader organization is doing. Yeah, I think that's so important 111 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:23.160 to the transparency aspect, the building the trust, you know, spending the 112 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:30.160 time to to create consistency and predictability with the team is critical to having them 113 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:32.480 be engaged because they have to feel uh, they have to feel good in 114 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:36.519 that space, and they have to be willing to understand that like, there's 115 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:41.800 more that we want to accomplish together than there is specifically to like the job 116 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:44.560 expectations that we all have. And so I think that that's a that's a 117 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:46.079 great call out. I think the other part of it, too, is 118 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:51.399 is constantly checking in with the team as a leader of people to say, 119 00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:55.480 like, how are you feeling? And and and what are things you know? 120 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.040 What? What are things that we do here that you maybe want to 121 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:00.720 get more time to do? What's a passion of yours? How can I 122 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:05.360 connect what people enjoy doing or what they're passionate about, or things that they 123 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:09.040 want to learn? How can I connect that to the day to day Because 124 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:11.199 I think when people then see the opportunity to learn and to grow, that 125 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:16.720 also increases engagement because they're really feeling like, again, they're not just a 126 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:20.120 part of They're a part of something bigger than just the day to day of 127 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:22.240 the job, and that could be a really big piece in getting people to 128 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:28.920 want to show up and not put forth just an effort, but put forth 129 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:31.160 really their best effort, right, you know, in a way that shows 130 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:35.440 that they are proud of the work that they're doing because they believe that work 131 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:39.320 speaks to something broader or bigger than themselves, which is what everybody wants. 132 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:41.840 And I know there are people listening right now who roll their eyes at that 133 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:45.919 because they don't think it's possible, or they think that it's you know, 134 00:08:45.960 --> 00:08:50.159 a pipe dream to have that be They what their goal is is to just 135 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.919 find a job that they don't dread coming to. And I'm telling you that 136 00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:56.799 that's not employee engagement. You know, that's just having a job that you 137 00:08:56.840 --> 00:08:58.720 don't dread coming to. If you look at it from a you know, 138 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:03.639 from a psychology perspective, on a on a on a Maslow hierarchy of needs 139 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:07.559 scale, you know, having a job that that makes you not have to 140 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:13.919 live paycheck to paycheck, that just that that you're able to pay the bills, 141 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:18.120 put some money away for savings. You don't dread going there. It's 142 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:22.039 fine, but you don't want to think about it when you're not there. 143 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:24.919 There are people there that are nice, but if you left the organization that 144 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:28.039 you'd never talk to them again. Like all of those things, That is 145 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:33.000 the lowest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. That's just like checking off the 146 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:37.840 basic boxes. And then there are other layers on top of that. To 147 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:41.840 me, employee engagement is the top layer. It's that it's that self actualization 148 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:48.639 layer that says that you've you've transcended beyond just these basic things, and you've 149 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:54.159 gone into an area where employees they think about their job when they're not doing 150 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:56.960 it because they're so passionate about the work that they just want to do it. 151 00:09:56.399 --> 00:10:01.279 And and and you're not going to get there with every but if you 152 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:05.759 think that engagement is just that basic level, that's all you'll ever get to. 153 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.919 If you think of it as that top level and you make steps to 154 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:13.440 strive for it, even though you know for a fact you'll never get completely 155 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:16.320 there for every person because everybody's different. You will get further along than you 156 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:22.519 are. You'll get further above where you're currently defining engagement, which is just 157 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:24.720 hey, no one's quitting, and people tend to report on an engagement survey 158 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:28.080 that Yeah, things are fine. That's not employee engagement. You're gonna get 159 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:35.039 the best productivity, the best work, and the most fulfillment out of your 160 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:39.480 role as a leader if the people who report to you can do these things 161 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:41.000 in a way that is meaningful for them. I want to thank everybody for 162 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:45.279 joining us this conversation on employee engagement. Join us next week for another one. 163 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:45.879 Have a great day.