A quick fix of some new management fad does not guarantee employee commitment.
True employee engagement comes from the culture of the organization. The culture encourages employees to invest and be involved in the work they do, how they do it, and why they do it for this company.
Organizational culture is the personality of an organization. Culture is made up of assumptions, values, norms, and tangible signs (artifacts) of organizational members and their behaviors. (Free Management Library, managementhelp.org)
The specific set of values and norms that people and groups in an organization share and that control how they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. (Strategic managementHill and Jones)
The conscious development of a company culture starts at the top, with the leader(s). A committed leader does not just have a commitment attitude. She demonstrates her own committed behavior.
Leaders are involved in all aspects of their roles as a leader.
A leader has vision. That ability to see what the organization can/should become distinguishes a leader. The leader can engage imagination and intuition with her knowledge and experience to clarify the components of why, who, where, when, and how.
A leader inspires action. By communicating the vision and the steps to achieve the vision, a leader inspires the required actions. While seeing can be believing, speaking (clearly, loudly, and often) leads to understanding.
A leader leads the people. That leader, then, is dedicated to interacting, knowing, appreciating and understanding the people who make up the organization. Tom Peters’ idea of driving walking it was about making the manager visible. A leader engages people in discussions, interactions, questions and answers…even disagreements.
A leader identifies and defines the “commitment” for the organization.
A leader asks what is included in the all work identity of an employee The work identity one engages in is more than just one’s job. An individual’s total employment identity may encompass
- Work as defined.
- Work as done.
- Career surrounding the job.
- Participation in a team of which the job is an element.
- Organizational role and identity that is more than just the job.
A leader determines whether those components contribute to the organization’s purpose and values. Meaningful leader involvement means asking members of the organization, especially the management team, questions such as: If an employee is involved in their career development, does that positively affect the organization?
A leader then commits to knowing/learning how to create a culture that supports each employee’s attention to total work identity, a work identity that has meaning to the employee and benefits the organization that justifies the commitment… and a culture that encourages such commitment.
A leader activates the culture of commitment.
A leader enrolls his managers in carrying out a culture of commitment. This is conceptual and practical. Managers must understand and accept the value of commitment. They must also carry out day-to-day management activities in ways that lead to ongoing engagement – yours and your employees.
A leader ensures a consistent and concerted appreciation of commitment throughout the company. Be aware of the complementary meanings of appreciation: 1. Recognition of the quality, value, meaning or magnitude of people and things. 2. An increase in value…especially over time. The leader’s commitment to recognizing the commitments of individuals generates even more commitment.
A leader remains engaged in the Vision-Communication-Interaction sequence. The success of an organization’s employee engagement is not a one-time effort or a quick fix.