We’re all trying to figure out employee engagement.
This past week I was in Whistler BC with an executive team. We sat in a conference room at the Westin and talked about our people and how to lead them better for the entire day.
One resource we used was a book called “First, Break All the Rules.” It’s a book partially based on a huge Gallup survey studying employee engagement of 80,000 managers representing 400 companies.
The 12 questions that determine employee engagement
They found that there are 12 questions that determine engagement. They are:
- Do I know what is expected of me at work?
- Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
- At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
- In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
- Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
- Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
- At work, do my opinions seem to count?
- Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
- Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
- Do I have a best friend at work?
- In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
- This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?
If you’re a manager, how do you think your team would respond to these questions? If you have a manager, do any of these resonate with you?
Now, it doesn’t end there. They also found that these questions need to come in the right order, and that if the first questions aren’t answered properly, the later ones don’t matter.
The first 6 have to happen before the final 6.
So, if you love the company’s mission and have friends there and are learning, but lack the tools to do the job and don’t really know what you’re supposed to accomplish, it’s all for naught.
The big six
So, this week consider the six key questions that are the foundation of everything:
- Do I know what is expected of me at work?
- Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
- At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
- In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
- Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
- Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
If you or your team members answer yes to these six, you’re on the right track toward employee engagement!
Trevor Throness is a speaker, consultant, and author of “The Power of People Skills.” He is also co-founder and senior instructor at www.professionalleadershipinstitute.com https://www.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/
Find more about “The Power of People Skills” here: https://www.amazon.com/Power-People-Skills-Dramatically-Performance/dp/1632651068
