Hot Topic-- Employee Engagement

The good news is that, according to the latest Gallup survey at the end of 2014, employee engagement in the US is at its highest level since 2000 but it still isn’t good.  Here’s what they found:

31.5% of employees are engaged

51% are not engaged

17.5% are actively disengaged

It is estimated that disengaged workers cost the US economy approximately $300 billion in lost productivity annually.  Employee engagement corresponds to the level of the staff members’ commitment and connection to the organization they support.  High levels of engagement translate to increases in customer satisfaction, employee retention and productivity.

 One way organizations can gauge whether or not their employees are engaged is by doing employee surveys or by holding focus groups to ask questions around how employees are feeling about the work, the organization, and its leadership.  Leaders and managers who listen carefully to their employees in meetings or in one on one situations have a much better chance of having engaged employees than those who aren’t good listeners. 

The Big Book of HR (available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble) has an entire chapter on employee engagement.  Included is a sample engagement survey that you may find useful as you attempt to understand your current employee population and what’s important to then.

One of the things that fuels employee engagement is when people are proud of where they work.  Being a good corporate citizen in whatever community the organization is in is hugely impactful on employee engagement.  This doesn’t mean you have to be a household name—just that you actively support your local community or pick a charity to sponsor—employees love getting behind a good cause and making a difference.

Another way to build engagement and also give back to the community is to volunteer for causes that matter to your employees.  Some organizations ask employees to nominate a favorite charity and select that group to sponsor for a year. Others select organizations where not only are you giving back to the community but you are building teams such as volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.  The organization makes a donation to the organization and then employees work on a build site for a day and in the process, get to know each other while supporting a good cause.

Of course, we know that to have engaged workers, you have to pay them fairly so it is important to participate in salary and benefits surveys in your market to be sure you are competitive.  Pay and benefits are only part of what is now called “Total Rewards Programs” which, in addition to pay and benefits, also include recognition programs and flexible work schedules.  Employees want to be recognized for the good work they do and, now more than ever, having flexible work arrangements have a hugely positive impact.  (See the Total Rewards chapter in The Big Book of HR).

Investing in your employees by showing genuine interest in them as individuals and in their well-being will go a long way toward having a more engaged workforce. 

Technology & Stress at Work

Our comfort level with the technology we use at work will depend on when we entered the workforce. For Baby Boomers, technology like switchboards and IBM Selectric Typewriters are words not even in the vocabulary of Millennials. Technological advances forever changed the way we work – are all of those changes good?

Technology today involves Iphones, e-mail and text messaging, not to mention social media. It is estimated that in 2015 U.S. workers will receive 22 percent and send more that 24 percent business e-mails than they did three years ago.  This has a negative impact on workers because

·      E-mail is addictive. People can get a rush with every new message and experience withdrawal when they are away from their inbox. The same can be said for text messages.

·      E-mail impedes focus when people shift their attention between two activities (responding to e-mail and finishing another task).

·      E-mail wastes time when workers have to recover their train of thoughts after e-mail interruptions (Now where was I?).

All of this new technology have blurred the boundary between work and personal time. Lack of boundaries contributes not only to stress but to workplace conflict.  Managers are able to reach workers 24/7 and employees are feeling the stress. Success at work is often measured by goals, quotas and objectives that may require more than the standard eight-hour workday.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines job stress as “the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.”

What’s an organization to do?

·      Encourage employees to go through e-mail at scheduled times, turn off distracting alerts and reply only when necessary. It will help break the addiction.

·      Use group discussions or employee surveys to collect information about what contributes to employees’ stress.

·      Give employees opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their jobs.

·      Make sure managers are clear about communicating expectations and prioritizing tasks so that employees know which are most important and which can wait.

·      Set reasonable deadlines.

·      Provide resources such as management training and employee assistance programs.

·      If feasible for the organization, implement telework.

A New Book - A New Look

We are very pleased to announce that we have a new book coming out very soon. Last fall the publisher of The Big Book of HR, Career Press approached us with the idea for a new book, The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook. We spent the winter and early spring writing it and are excited   that the publication date is September 21, 2015. (You can also visit Amazon.com now and pre-order it!)

Now we have two exciting books to publicize and we will be doing radio interviews, print interviews, as well as contributing to magazines and ezines to get the word out about our books.  We’ve learned a lot about the world of book publishing and publicity which we know will help us market our books going forward.

In addition to The Big Book of HR’s website (www.bigbookofhr.com), we will have a website for the new book (essentialworkplaceconflict.com).  Both websites will feature our blogs and information on speaking engagements, book reviews, and interviews and media coverage.  We will continue to tweet @bigbookofhr and on @gotworkconflict

We are also changing the title of our blog and our Constant Contact newsletter to Making People Matter—you will see this title as it arrives in your inbox every month and we hope you will read and comment on our postings.

You can continue to follow what we’re doing and the exciting changes to come. You can sign up to receive our blog every week. It’s posted at makingpeoplematter.blogspot.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google+ where we’ll keep you up-to-date on events and relevant items of interest. Look for our LinkedIn updates. Most importantly, look for the release of The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook in September.

We appreciate the interest and support of all our readers, friends and colleagues. Thanks for being part of these adventures with us.

Feedback – An Essential Management Competency

What’s the most important part of performance management? Hint, it’s not filling out the annual performance appraisal form. It’s the feedback, timely, effective feedback. Yet feedback is something that managers try to avoid because they associate feedback with negativity. All employees want to know “How am I doing?” This is especially true for the Millennial Generation. The following are quick pointers for managers and team leaders:

·      Reinforcement is the most effective form of feedback.

·      Conversely, criticism is the most ineffective form. It overpowers all other forms.

·      The difference between criticism and advice is a difference in timing. Most criticism can be given as advice.

·      Praise accomplishments!

·      When feedback is mixed, the impact is diluted. Be clear and concise. Let the employee know what they are doing well and what they need to do differently.

·      State specifically what you’ve observed – both positive and negatives. Remember the what, when, where. Give examples that support your points.

·      Concentrate on observable behaviors and results and not the person. Express observations calmly and factually.

·      Describe specifically what you want to reinforce and/or correct and explain why it’s important.

·      Describe the consequences of not correcting negative behavior or performance.

When providing feedback, remember that differences matter. Not everyone sees the world through the same set of lenses. Revise your mental model, get rid of the noise, acknowledge and respect differences, and recognize barriers to communication.  Ask yourself:

·     Are my words escalating a negative situation?

·     Am I communicating clearly?

·     Am I getting all the information I need?

·     Is it possible that my words and actions are being misinterpreted?

·     Are my assumptions creating barriers?

Consider how one employee described her manager’s approach to providing positive feedback, stating that it goes a long way.

·      He addresses people directly and privately.

·      He appreciates your diligence to get the work completed in a correct and timely fashion.

·      He compliments you on the work you are assigned to do as well as when you go above and beyond what is expected.

·      He shows appreciation.

·      He recognizes the unique nature of the job.

·      He makes you feel recognized and valued.

·      He treats everyone with dignity and respect.

Delivering effective feedback is a skill that managers and leaders can perfect. Make sure the feedback is timely (when the behavior or performance occurs) and do it often. Even if the feedback is around negative issues, employees will welcome it and feel respected. Don’t assume your “superstars” automatically know they are doing a great job. They want to hear it and they want to hear how they can do even better.

Front Line Employees

Front-line employees are the face and voice of almost every business. Are you developing them as brand champions?  Recent research has indicated that when organizations invest in their front-line employees, it’s one of the key elements to creating a high-caliber customer experience.

I was grocery shopping one Sunday – not my favorite shopping experience. From the middle of the store, I heard clapping and cheering, hooting and hollering. Obviously, something was being celebrated. When I finished and was at the register, a very pleasant cashier, “Jane” was helping me. One of her associates joined us and started bagging my groceries. She turned to Jane and congratulated her on her award. “Was that you they were clapping for? What did you win?” I asked. Jane was the proud winner of a customer service award. In addition to the heart-felt recognition, she also received a gift certificate for a dinner out for two. “How nice that the company recognizes its employees,” I said.  “Oh, the recognitions would have been enough. The gift certificate is like the frosting,” Jane replied. Both women went on to tell me how much they loved working for Harris Teeter and how much the company recognizes and appreciates its employees. I left the store after completing this required errand feeling uplifted. What a great story.

Compare that to two other recent experiences I had with organizations I won’t name. When Barbara and I gave feedback about a style preference in a clothing store, the sales associate responded, “Write to the company, please. The e-mail address is on the receipt. They don’t listen to us.” Don’t listen to their sales force – their face to the customers? Seriously? Or the flight attendant I was sitting next to once who told me the CEO of the company told them that the flight attendants don’t add to the bottom line! Seriously, with whom does the flying public most interact? Not the CEO, that’s for sure.

The front line of your organization is critical. They can create a culture of efficiency and excellence and that results in productivity and profitability. Are you assuring that they are the best that they can be? Are you investing in them?

Investment in your employees can take many different forms. We recently heard the story of Michelle. She worked in customer service for a large organization in the health-care industry. Cost was an issue—one of the factors holding her back from an education, but the company made an investment in her through tuition assistance and a special program that allowed her to get an associate’s degree in 12 months. She got promoted and went on to work towards a bachelor’s degree. The investment of their money and her time paid off.

Investing in your employees, however, need not always have a significant dollar amount associated with it. Jane was thrilled to be recognized—which cost nothing. The gift certificate was a nice, additional investment. While her attitude was pleasant, our sales clerk’s self-esteem and enthusiasm could be elevated to great heights if the company invested some time to listen to their front line. They could be superior brand champions. As far as my flight attendant goes, I know the industry is having its challenges, but I’m not sure I’d rush back to fly on his carrier anytime soon. If you don’t treat your employees with fairness and respect, how will they treat your customers?

The Culture of Communication

Social media is fascinating. Is it replacing the way we communicate or giving us more avenues of communication?

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a twitter chat. I’d been intrigued with the idea of them since first hearing about them at a workshop about 18 months ago. It’s an interesting experience. The host was tweeting my prepared questions and I responded with a number of tweets – A1a, A1b, etc. Other participants can pose questions or comments to which you respond, or they can “favorite” or retweet one of your comments. Comments, favorites and retweets continue and it certainly provides good marketing exposure. One metric I was given toward the end was that we reached 278,000 twitter accounts. Oh, if each of them would buy The Big Book of HR! (Our twitter handle is @bigbookofhr.)

One scathing comment was received blasting us for conversing in this manner. Downside of the social world, the internet, the cloud, anonymity reigns. To this anonymous contributor, you might want to consider watching “Frozen” and take heed from the song, “Let it Go!” Had s/he been paying attention (listening in the virtual world), s/he would have seen my comment “Communication methods r changing rapidly w/technology & social media. Deliver messages in a method in which ur employees like to receive info.”

I must admit that while I was fascinated with the whole process and will eagerly participate in twitter chats in the future, I wouldn’t put them at the top of my list of communication or conversation methods. Nothing beats sitting and having good conversation. Barbara and I have had some great phone interviews since “The Big Book of HR” was published and are looking forward to more once our next book “The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook” hits the streets this fall. 

Looking back to the early 20^th century, a story about (and lesson from) my paternal grandmother, who emigrated with my grandfather from Italy and settled in Brooklyn, NY. I never knew her – she died before I was born – but I’ve heard stories about her including about how she was  sought out by the other immigrants in her Italian neighborhood to read and respond to letters from relatives back home because my grandmother was one of the few women who knew how to read and write in that era. Apparently she had a cottage industry of transcribing the thoughts of other people because letter writing was their only form of communicating long-distance then. We’ve come a long way.

Here’s the irony. The topic of my twitter chat was Must Haves for Successfully Managing People. The next day it was published in blog format by my host, Melinda Emerson a/k/a #smallbizlady, on her web site http://succeedasyourownboss.com. The same topic appears on www.bigbookofhr.com – our webpage – as a short video to provide a resource for small businesses. Finally, Barbara and I have presented this topic in a face-to-face meeting. Same message, four different methods to deliver it, and we probably got the most exposure from the twitter chat.

Technology has been a powerful influence in the way that we communicate and get information today. While everyone has their individual preference, it’s important to recognize the value of each method. If you have to get a message out, deliver messages in a method in which your audience likes to receive information. Don’t hesitate to diversify your method and try something new.  

Curiosity Sparks Innovation

There is a wonderful new book out by Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman titled A Curious Mind…The Secret to a Bigger Life.  You may recognize Brian Grazer who is the Academy Award winning producer of such films as A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Splash and more. He also produces award winning television shows which have been nominated for 43 Oscars and 149 Emmys—in other words, he is a successful entertainment producer!

I first heard about the book from an interview with Brian in the United Airlines magazine and I loved reading about how for years Mr. Grazer has been holding “curiosity conversations” with just about anyone you can think of!  He’s sought out interesting and accomplished strangers—from spies and Nobel laureates to artists and CEO’s. These talks have inspired many of his films and TV shows.

The book makes a strong case that “curiosity is the tool that sparks curiosity and curiosity is the technique that gets to innovation.”  He suggests that questions create the mind-set of innovation and creativity. Curiosity presumes that “there might be something new out there.”  I love the way Brian explains it—he says” he keeps asking questions until something interesting happens.”

He says that “being curious and asking questions creates engagement” so there is a link to one of the most frequently discussed management topics today—employee engagement!  Another link to the world of work is his belief—and I totally agree—that curiosity sparks innovation.

So, what should you do if you want to have a curious conversation—especially one that might lead you to innovation?  The authors suggest you start close to home with people you already know—family, friends, work-related colleagues. Think of someone who might have an interesting job or who has had a very different life experience from yours.  Begin the conversation by telling the person that you’ve always been curious about their work (or their achievements or education or whatever makes them unique) and that you’d like to spend 20 minutes or so talking to you about what they do (or what their challenges are or…)

Here are some tips for having a successful curious conversation:

·       Be sure to clearly state that you want to hear their story—not that you are looking to sell them something or looking for advice—you are curious about them and their story!

·       Be careful to stay within the timeframe you agreed to before you started so that you honor them.

·       Prepare your questions ahead of time and be sure to ask open ended questions like, “Tell me about why you decided to study … “or “What was your first professional success?” or “What’s surprised you the most about where your passion has taken you?”

·       Even though you have thought your questions through ahead of time, be flexible if the conversation goes in a new direction!  That’s where you will learn the most!

·       Listen carefully and respectfully.  Follow up questions with probes like, “Tell me more…,”  “How so?”  Your goal is to learn as much as possible from the conversation. 

·       Be grateful for the time the person spent talking to you.  Of course, you would thank the person at the end of the conversation but the authors suggest you send a handwritten thank you note in which you mention something that was particularly interesting or in which you share a story of how something they said caused you to think or behave differently.  You can also send a thank you email but handwritten notes get a lot of attention because no one sends them anymore!  And, remember, a thank you note should not ask for anything—it is to say how much you appreciated their time and information!

We challenge you to use curious conversations to drive innovation in your organization and let us know how it works for you!