You can’t stop gangrene with a plaster
Employee engagement was something my friend was not experiencing at all. She has been in the same company for about 5 years, and, as far as I can remember, she has been miserable, apart from the occasional blip when she was momentarily elated due to a promotion or better terms in her contract. I spoke to her a few months back, and she explained how much her manager and the culture of the company stressed her out. I perceived she felt used, a victim of political games, and she was so unhappy.
And then came a blip. I spoke to her about a month later, and she was so excited. She had spoken to her manager and had negotiated a better salary and more flexible working conditions. Finally, she was on the brink of happiness in her job. I said to myself, “Let’s see how long this lasts.”
Now, of course, I had tried explaining to her on multiple occasions that the company probably wasn’t right for her, but she would typically say something like “Yeah, but I am comfortable with my salary, and my manager is treating me a little bit better now.” I had the sneaking suspicion that she was trying to justify everything to make it work, so I just remained silent and listened.
Fast-forward about a month from her successful negotiation (blip), and she was in the depths of misery again, saying that she wanted to quit and that she couldn’t take it anymore.
The insight: you can’t stop gangrene with a plaster.
It’s not about the money or the perks
Even though we will always accept more money or perks if they are given to us, they can’t solve employee engagement issues. While I know people with big salaries who are happy, I know plenty more with bigger salaries who are incredibly unhappy at work.
My friend isn’t unhappy because she doesn’t earn enough or because she can’t get things done without flexible working hours. She is unhappy because of the culture at the workplace. That is the root, not anything else.
What it is about
Employee engagement is high when we feel like we can make a difference, that we can contribute, and that we are cared for and appreciated for who we are as human beings. Here are three skills you can train managers in to help prepare the soil to drive the engagement of your employees:
Skill #1: Cultivate authenticity and walk the talk
Every person that walks through the front door to start their day at work has a unique vantage point, and they have so much that they can bring to the table – if you let them. Too often, people feel like they don’t want to “rock the boat” and “make waves” if they suggest something that might be unpopular. So they hold back, fearing the consequences of office politics.
We need to change this! We need to allow people to come to work as they are, ask the questions they have on their mind, help them clear up any doubts that they may have. If we don’t allow them to do that, those inner thoughts will come out in unhealthy ways, hurting the company and the engagement of not only that employee, but of others too.
The best way managers can do this is by being authentic themselves, so tell them to be authentic. But you, the leader of the organisation, have to model it for your managers so that they see what it is that you want from them. If you just say it, but don’t exhibit it yourself, it will be hard for them to stick their necks out because you are basically saying “Be authentic, although count me out on this authenticity thing, because I don’t really believe in it enough to do it myself.”
Yes, it takes a lot of vulnerability, but it’s worth it. Your credibility will skyrocket, and that of your managers will too.
Skill #2: Care for your direct reports
If you are going to hold your managers accountable for anything, let it be caring for their direct reports. If managers only care about their targets, then the people they manage can quite easily become a means to that end. And when we feel used, that typically doesn’t make us happier and more engaged at work.
You as a leader need to do the same with your managers. Care for them deeply. It’s not just about what they do, it is about who they are. And they will do the same for their direct reports.
Now does that mean that we let all of the other metrics go out the window? Absolutely not! But if you focus on this one first, and make it the most important metric, the other ones will be a lot easier to manage.
Skill #3: Tell them to push back on you
The former CEO and current Chairman of Dunkin’ Brands Group, Nigel Travis, wrote a book called The Challenge Culture: Why the Most Successful Organisations Run on Pushback to explain how important it is to have a culture of debate and pushback. In fact, it’s essential!
Just to clarify, we are not talking about taking away your decision-making ability in an effort to please everyone. That would be disastrous! Somebody has to call the shots and give direction to the company, and that person is you. But, assuming that everyone wants the company to succeed, some really good feedback can make its way up to you from employees through their managers. But if managers feel like they can’t bring it up the chain, they will have to play office politics and make excuses all the time. Allowing your managers to push back gives you information from the ground – and that is so valuable!
These are just three simple ways (and they are free!) which can help you drive employee engagement. Next time you are dealing with unhappy employees, ask yourself, “Am I trying to cure gangrene with a band-aid?”
