Are you struggling with employee engagement? Most employees want to be fully engaged in their work. In that respect, they don’t differ from you or me. They want to be aligned with their organizations strategic goals and priorities. They want to feel that they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Most organizations however place far too many barriers in the way of employee engagement, such as:
- Vaguely worded vision, mission and goal statements, (and in many cases overly worded statements)
- Unclear long and short term goals
- An overwhelming list of “key initiatives”
- Measures and targets that confuse rather than focus efforts
- Mis-aligned initiatives and projects
To achieve a more engaged organization, try something dramatically different, yet simple. How about a Mission or Goal Statement that has fewer words, and focuses on the END? Think Disney’s “Make People Happy”, FedEx “Overnight Parcel Delivery”, 3M “To solve unsolved problems innovatively”, WalMart “To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same things as rich people.” Keep it really simple and challenging, and easy to act upon. Make the mission or goal statement an END and avoid including the MEANS. Use it to invite or provoke discussion. This discussion then produces ideas that become the MEANS to achieve the END. It’s the MEANS that engage people. That’s what they have control or influence over. That’s what will energise them.
Doing this sort of thing costs nothing, and can have a huge impact. Employee engagement really is free.