I’ve written a couple of articles about the importance of Employee Engagement and how it can bring positive results to the bottom line.  Many people read the articles and comment about how great it sounds to work for a company like that, but they say that their company doesn’t care about the concept.  With all of the bottom line impact from Employee Engagement, it makes one wonder why more companies don’t apply more focus to the concept. 

That really is a great question and one that deserves a really good answer.

Unfortunately, I don’t have one.

When I speak with executives at any level about the concept of Employee Engagement, they all seem to understand the concept.  They smile; they nod their heads; they make an intelligent comment or two; and then they move the discussion some place else. 

Are they afraid of what a discussion about Employee Engagement might reveal about them or their company?   Are they concerned that I might move from a discussion into a sales pitch?   Or do they really not understand where Employee Engagement fits into their role and into their organization?

The executives that I speak with are generally bright, intelligent people.  They understand the complexities of running their own business, the complexities of financial statements that come from their accountants, and they certainly understand the technical aspects of their business.  In other words, they understand all of the “things” associated with their business.  What they seem to lack is a clear understanding of the impact that people, both ordinary and extraordinary, have on their business. 

For most executives, their careers started out much the way mine did (see Background and History on the blog site).  They find themselves rewarded for getting results and having success in their jobs.  As they progress up the career ladder they get better at doing the things that they already do best.  But they don’t get better at the skills that separate average executives from top-notch executives; engaging and inspiring their people.

Sometimes you will find a progressive executive who has done some reading on Employee Engagement, but has never really experienced it firsthand.  Since they are anxious to learn new things and apply them to the business, and since they see the value of Employee Engagement they do what comes natural to them.

They delegate it to someone else.

The receiving party is generally the VP of Human Resources.  Logical, right?  After all, the Human Resources department is focused on people and this is a people issue.   He may even ask for reports to measure “how that whole Employee Engagement thing” is coming along.  And the VP of HR then sometimes implements something like an Organizational Survey to measure the level of Employee Engagement, thereby furthering the myth that Employee Engagement can be delegated.

Employee Engagement starts at the top of the organization with a strong commitment to delivering world class products and services.  With that comes a pledge to ensuring that every employee is dedicated to, and believes in, the same concept.   This is how Employee Engagement gets started.  

At ECI Learning Systems LLC, we are dedicated to helping companies get the greatest return from their most valuable asset: their employees.  We work with you to align 3 key organizational factors:
• Your Company Culture
• The Leadership Styles of your key managers
• The Expectations of your Employees

When these 3 factors are aligned, you create an energy in your company that improves productivity, reduces absenteeism, increases creativity, and positively impacts your bottom line.  Contact ECI Learning Systems LLC today to get your free Workplace Evaluation.

Until next time.....

Dave Meyer
http://www.ecilearning.com