A crisis in employee engagement has been building for a long time, with employees increasingly being treated as interchangeable objects. As the economy recovers, the American workforce is going to go into active revolt. Some of the best people will be energized to pursue situations where they will be treated as an intelligent Human being with a brain in their head, and… those who stay may be so worn out from feeling used, they will only give enough to earn their pay (if we’re lucky) and deny businesses the creativity and energy that can only happen when they are voluntarily committed to their work.
Recently the question was posed to me: “Is it already too late to engage unhappy employees?“ (Sigh. I feel like the boy who cried wolf, when there was indeed a wolf all along…)
It is not too late, but the intent must be sincere and sustained. There are too many companies that will get it too late (if at all) about how Human beings work, what they need at work, and how to address that practically and affordably.
And as for the possibility of a quick fix? It sorta depends on how deep a company is in the hole with their employees. With my clients, if their intentions are good, i.e. they truly value the contribution the Human beings in their employ can bring, we look at daily activities, communications, decision-making and interactions with employees and infuse ways to demonstrate basic respect and value for employees’ contribution.
For some companies, their strategy will require delving deep into personal development for their key players to open their eyes. This can move relatively quickly if there is genuine desire to take responsibility and make a change. Otherwise, there are no quick fixes here, and in fact, quick fixes made without a foundation of respect and value for the employees can make things worse.
So what are we left with? It’s not about a program-of-the-month, but a new commitment to work with each other as human beings and adults with not only responsibilities to a company and stockholders, but also to each other.
Would you like to get goodies or smart articles like this in future? If so, simply subscribe via email or RSS.
Hey there! See that button that says "Share/ Save" at the bottom of the post? I'd be honored if you picked one and shared.
Copyright 2009, Artemis Path, Inc. All rights reserved. No content on this site may be reused in any fashion without written permission from Artemis Path, Inc.
Related posts:
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
For some corporations, including my current employer, it may be too late to rebuild employee engagement…there are too many disappointed, overworked, beaten-down, cynical employees out there. When the recession ends, many of those employees will fire their employers, just as so many of their fellow employees were fired by their employers.
If, in 3 years’ time, I hear any corporate leader in the USA whining about “employees have no loyalty” I will burst out laughing…
I know what you mean, Graham. This is a very painful time for many corporate employees, current and former. I hope all who have a vision for a better work culture can find a way to turn things around so that we truly *see* and value each other, both as Human beings and contributors.