Employee Engagement: Lesson Learned # 1

16 December 2013, Singapore: I am disgusted (avoid technical wording please) on what happen to my employee engagement (EE) plan. I am not going to name the company. The team put in a lot of efforts but end of the day, the report card only show a one (1) percent (%) increase. Listed below are some of the areas identified for the failure, I stand by it. In the near future, I will do it differently ...

• EE is a 'shared responsibility' - just because you are accountable for it, doesn't mean that you have to do it alone. It is a role every managers and supervisors must play a part in it.
• EE required the senior leadership to be visible at the shop-floor / production area. If your senior leadership is only interested in running the show from the ivory tower - my advice, have a private session with him. If he / she is still not interested, it is better to start proper documentation to cover yourself.
• Internally, the management may call or label an EE program as 'employee engagement' program but please (x2) don't market it as an EE to the employees. Better call it 'well-being' or other wording which employee can associate with.
• Don't just create an EE task-force or committee but if you have the manpower - create a small team who can help you publicized your EE program in a coordinated manner.
• Develop a simple motto for people to talk about .... I personally like the word "well-being" compared to engagement.
• Defined your organization meaning of Engagement and get every managers and supervisors aligned.
• EE program start with a simple 'Thank You'. It is harder to get the managers and supervisors to say 'Thank You'.
• Fight for your budget and utilized ... there is no point saving the EE budget to show a better EBIT or meeting business plan. End of the day - Finance will meet their business plan while you are blamed for failing to meet your EE obligation.
• Incorporate other 'well-being' model into your EE program ... e.g., Gallup's five (5) elements of Well-being ... [ Click here for Gallup 5 elements of Well-being ]

-The End-