It’s funny how some of the simplest questions can be the toughest to answer.
I was reading a great New York Times article that reminded me of this fact. It’s worth sharing the authors’ words verbatim.
“We (authors Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath) often ask senior leaders a simple question: If your employees feel more energized, valued, focused and purposeful, do they perform better? Not surprisingly, the answer is almost always ‘Yes.’ Next we ask, ‘So how much do you invest in meeting those needs?’ An uncomfortable silence typically ensues.”
The article’s title, “Why You Hate Work,” sums up why this silence is such a big deal. You hate work because no one there is investing in you.
Regular and meaningful overtures that help employees feel energized, valued, focused, and purposeful are critical to sustaining a high performing workforce. However, most employers are unsure how to proceed. Even if they’ve decided it’s worth the effort to try to do something, it’s unclear how their training and development efforts might link to long-term employee engagement.
And this is why the business community needs more individuals who specialize in organizational development and, specifically, more Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches.
The authors of the “Why You Hate Work” have no ties to Gallup (in fact, they are competitors) but they use Gallup research throughout their article. Why? Because Gallup is the world-wide authority on employee engagement. In fact, they coined the term.
The importance of engagement cannot be denied. Companies that are the best at cultivating engagement have 22% higher profitability, 10% higher customer ratings, 28% less theft, and 48% fewer safety incidents. Unfortunately, workplace engagement is increasingly rare. “(J)ust 30 percent of employees in America feel engaged at work, according to a 2013 report by Gallup. Around the world, across 142 countries, the proportion of employees who feel engaged at work is just 13 percent.”
What to do? Give everyone at your organization information that helps them understand their unique talents and abilities. Coach these individuals to use their talents every day at work and grow them into strengths. Provide them a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach who can facilitate an understanding of how they can partner with their colleagues in meaningful ways. Studies show that understanding the strengths of your team and harnessing your combined talents is a sure way to spark engagement at work.
Still skeptical? Watch the video in the link below to see how strengths coaching can turn your organization into that rare company that knows what to say (and do) when someone asks “So how much do you invest in meeting your employees’ needs?”
Corporate Coaching Video – Why It Works
To see the entire “Why I Hate Work” article go to: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html