Engage workers meaningfully
Mar 21, 2010
WHETHER you are a chief executive officer or a leader in one way or another, you could have heard about employee engagement. Normally, many would associate employee engagement with the human resources department and perhaps would also leave it to them.
HR INSIGHT - With Paula Kyabaggu Mukama
WHETHER you are a chief executive officer or a leader in one way or another, you could have heard about employee engagement. Normally, many would associate employee engagement with the human resources department and perhaps would also leave it to them.
Employee engagement means keeping employees engaged. Engaged in what? Not just in birthday parties, picnics and other social activities. Most employees are social enough to do these themselves. Of course, support by their organisation helps.
Employee engagement means keeping people truly engaged in their work. Why? Being disconnected with one’s work is one of the biggest reasons for losing people, particularly skilled people.
Talented people have much higher expectations about their own achievements and also from those around them. Great leaders spot talent and sense the needs of talented people. They engage people in challenging tasks, taking care to nurture them.
It is in human nature to look for larger meaning in whatever one is doing. Ideas and overarching vision provide this higher meaning. Leaders back-up ideas with passion. They paint a big picture and mobilise resources, they walk the talk. This is the biggest positive trigger for talented people, hungry for good, meaningful and worthwhile work.
Giving out meaningless parcels of work is dehumanising and disengages workers. For example, if your programme officers know about only a fraction of the overall project that they are working on, then all the fun parties, picnics and other events will not engage them.
Great leaders set worthwhile goals and support exciting ideas. They create ‘meaningful’ work for their people. These are the hallmarks of great leaders. Such leaders keep their people engaged.
WHETHER you are a chief executive officer or a leader in one way or another, you could have heard about employee engagement. Normally, many would associate employee engagement with the human resources department and perhaps would also leave it to them.
Employee engagement means keeping employees engaged. Engaged in what? Not just in birthday parties, picnics and other social activities. Most employees are social enough to do these themselves. Of course, support by their organisation helps.
Employee engagement means keeping people truly engaged in their work. Why? Being disconnected with one’s work is one of the biggest reasons for losing people, particularly skilled people.
Talented people have much higher expectations about their own achievements and also from those around them. Great leaders spot talent and sense the needs of talented people. They engage people in challenging tasks, taking care to nurture them.
It is in human nature to look for larger meaning in whatever one is doing. Ideas and overarching vision provide this higher meaning. Leaders back-up ideas with passion. They paint a big picture and mobilise resources, they walk the talk. This is the biggest positive trigger for talented people, hungry for good, meaningful and worthwhile work.
Giving out meaningless parcels of work is dehumanising and disengages workers. For example, if your programme officers know about only a fraction of the overall project that they are working on, then all the fun parties, picnics and other events will not engage them.
Great leaders set worthwhile goals and support exciting ideas. They create ‘meaningful’ work for their people. These are the hallmarks of great leaders. Such leaders keep their people engaged.