Employee Engagement Can not Be Sustained
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Engagement can�t be sustained � at least not the way many (if
not most) people imagine it. Let me explain�
Many people have the mistaken impression that an engaged
employee:
- Is always enthusiastic about their work
- Always enjoys their work
- Regularly feels challenged by their work
- Feels a sense of commitment to their work, and
- Derives satisfaction from their efforts
Granted, a person who is enthused, committed, energized and
challenged is an engaged person, but to expect someone to be like that
all the time is unrealistic. It�s a rare person � usually a visionary
leader � who is enthusiastic and committed to something the majority of
the time. But for the rest of us, it�s just not realistic and won�t
happen.
Sure, people can become highly engaged. An individual or a
team may become very enthusiastic about a project or a challenge. And
of course, people will be committed to achieving a meaningful goal. But
a state of high engagement just can�t exist for the majority of people
over a prolonged period. Here�s why� People get bored. Most often,
we�re not asked to work on new and exciting projects on a regular
basis. Instead, we�re generally performing routine tasks � nothing to
be excited about.
But employee engagement in its true sense is very much
sustainable and is realistic to achieve at all levels throughout an
organization. Real employee engagement is reflected in how people spend
their discretionary time and effort. Someone who is engaged is always
committed to their work and derives satisfaction from it most of the
time.
If you�ve employed people who enjoy the kind of work they were
hired to do and they get to do that work on a regular basis and they
have a boss/leader with strong interpersonal skills and the
organization has a positive culture, much of the workforce will be
engaged. They�ll be committed to their work and they�ll look for ways
to improve. They�ll solve problems and they�ll derive satisfaction from
their efforts. But in order to achieve that, all those pieces must be
in place.
While it�s true that a high state of engagement can�t be
sustained for very long by a workforce, real engagement is achievable
in the long run. It requires starting with the right people, having a
leadership team with strong interpersonal skills, and creating a
supportive culture.
About the Author
Written
by Michael Beck, an Executive Coach and Strategist specializing in
employee engagement, executive development, and leadership
effectiveness. Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mjbeck
and visit www.michaeljbeck.com
to learn more.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2014-11-19 08:00:05 in Employee Articles
