You've Done Gallup.....Now What?

When we ask if a company is investing in engagement, we often hear,  “Oh, yeah, we have Gallup.”  Even I have relied on Gallup as a measure of my team’s level of engagement.   Unfortunately, many executives believe that using Gallup will solve all of their engagement problems when in fact, doing a Gallup survey is just the first step.

Gallup determines the level of engagement of your people by asking 12 basic questions they’ve honed by surveying millions of employees.  Make no mistake, Gallup knows how to do research.   It is no coincidence that the world relies on Gallup to learn about everything from Swine Flu to Sarah Palin.   Engagement is just one of many research products Gallup offers.

Unfortunately, the Gallup questions are really designed to assess the level of engagement but are only partially useful in helping you focus on what you need to do to make improvements.  While “having a best friend at work” may be a great indicator of your level of engagement, what’s a manager supposed to do with that?

Another limitation is that the issues are usually reported at the manager level, so that’s where improvement initiatives are typically generated.  That is fine as long as that is where the problems exist.  The risk is that the process to address more systemic issues can devolve into multiple, fragmented and disassociated initiatives.  If the problems are more structural, there may be no mechanism for escalating the problem, or if there is, top executives may not have a true understanding of the root cause issues.

What this means is that while Gallup can represent a good start to addressing engagement, believing that it provides a “comprehensive solution” to systemic issues will leave both management and employees disappointed.

Scott

Everyone Gets A Trophy

It is human to complain about the younger generation.   The current sound bite about the Millennials (Gen Y) is that we have so coddled them and programmed their pre-adult existence, that they have developed very unrealistic expectations about how hard life can be, how long it takes to develop deep expertise, and how we all need to deal with unpleasant people and situations at work.  The fear is we have raised a generation of dilettantes, incapable of toughing it out or working through difficult issues.

While there may be some truth to the claims about Millennials, expecting them to grow-up, tow-the-line, shape up, and get with the program is silly.  Like it or not, these kids are products of the world we created.  They expect challenge and growth opportunities in their work.  They want to save the world.  And they have a very clear perspective about how well traditional companies treat their workforce when faced with the prospect of not making this quarter’s earnings projection.  Many truly believe they are on their own – responsible for their own development, financial security, and career path. 

While dangerous to make broad generalizations, my experience is that they are just as smart, hard working, creative, and dedicated as their elders.  When given the chance, they will work their tails off for something they believe in.  They just happen to be much more skeptical about traditional business.  Do you blame them?

So rather than ignore the critical issues which truly define this generation or hope that they will become more like Boomers as they age, we should all embrace the energy and passion that this generation offers.  A company that demonstrates that it truly has their interests at heart, will be rewarded with a highly committed and engaged workforce.


Scott

“Top Workplaces” in a Tough Economy – Part 3

I'm back again with one more post on the Detroit Free Press "Top Workplaces" report. (Scott was nice enough to let me "hog the blog," but he'll be offering up some new insight next time.)

As previously shared, this particular study used an employee survey to identify the region's top workplaces. Participants not only rated their organizations on a variety of factors, but they also rated these factors in terms of importance. This prompted me to wonder…which questions were important to the employees, and which they also indicated that their organizations performed positively? As I scanned the lists, I found one clear winner.

Third on the list of importance was: "This organization operates by strong values and ethics." And this same question was number two on the list that demonstrated how well their organizations performed. Values and ethics therefore appear to be a sweet spot; employees consider this a critical expectation in the companies they're a part of, and the best businesses act in ways that convey true integrity.

An organization's values are less about talk and more about visible action, and this past year was "Exhibit A" in demonstrable values. Every business had to make very difficult decisions, decisions that had a profound impact on their people. Some used blunt force, using a ragged bottom line to defend layoffs, salary reductions and increased workloads. Others took a different approach, and were both business-like but empathetic, still making some of the same decisions but finding ways to do so with care and concern.

One interesting example was a law firm that offered one-year sabbaticals to many of their attorneys. They gave them a modest salary, continued to pay benefits, and in return asked that they use the time to develop their capabilities in some way. As a consequence, the firm was able to reduce their payroll, retain talented employees and offer them a chance to recharge and grow. Everyone was happy with the solution, and when the economy warms back up, they'll be in a position to take full advantage.

If you're interested in checking out this study, go to http://www.freep.com/ and click on "Best Workplaces in Detroit" on the front page.