Via Whatever… Why Employees Stop Caring About Work | Sterling Performance | BNET.
“There’s evidence to suggest the level of people’s engagement declines with their length of service in an organisation. They start off keen and try to perform at their best. But if they receive no support, or get disrespect, zero encouragement or acknowledgement, praise or reward, they learn that being “engaged” is a mug’s game.”
What a great quote, and terribly true. The longer you’re with an org, the greater your chances of disconnecting with them if their’s not a continued effort to let you know you’re a valued worker. A few years ago I started working for a young start-up company. The people were great – fresh – alive – and amazingly friendly. I felt like I had walked into a second family. And, as you can imagine, my engagement level with the company was through the roof. I loved working for them.
But over time, that feeling deteriorated into a flatline. I still enjoy the people. They’re still friendly and fun to be with – but one of the reasons why I decided to stop working with them was because they lost their focus on making me feel like I belonged…that I was contributing to something great.
What changed, and how can I avoid this?
Community -we long for it. One of our basic human needs is a need to belong. I think businesses – my business – would do well to not forget this. At the beginning of my previous work, we often met together over dinner or coffee (staff of 4.) and often got together with the bigger crew for celebrations or mini parties. The feeling of family was made strong and perpetuated by these little events.
Souring factor: I think perhaps a tighter orientation to expense reduction. Sure companies need to watch their cashflow – especially so in times like these – but not at the expense of sacrificing community. Community and engagement are pretty close friends: remove at your own risk. But really: how expensive do community developing events have to be? The can cost little to nothing. What matters is getting together, having fun, and getting to know the others working with you.
Appreciation – one thing that matters is being rewarded and recognized for excellent work. Simple things can go a long way: I got “thank you ” cards – a donut and coffee before a class once…and won a few employee excellence awards. They weren’t big deals – but they really meant something to me. It made me fee valued, and increased my engagement levels.
This engagement factor never soured in my previous work – but it’s so vital for leaders to show appreciation for what their team of people are doing. A strong point for me to remember. Saying Thank you can go a long way.
Ongoing Support- I’ve noticed that it’s alarmingly easy to stop providing ongoing support and development. It’s not because I’ve stopped believing in its importance…but I think I’ve gotten distracted somewhat by other things going on in the business. Sadly, even the long term top performers will blink out if you fail to connect and offer your support. I’ve had it happen. Roll out ongoing ProD and support sessions!
Employee engagement isn’t such a difficult thing to develop and maintain. More than anything I think it requires the constant awareness of leaders of what helps employees feel “part of something” and “valued. ” But not just awareness….regular doses are required.
