KEY BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT. 4 WAYS TO IDENTIFY YOUR ACTIVELY ENGAGED EMPLOYEES.

July 26, 2010 by oscadmin · 4 Comments
Filed under: Human Resources 



Employee engagement is personified by the passion and energy employees have to give of their best to the organization to serve the customer. It is all about the willingness and ability of employees to give sustained discretionary effort to help their organization succeed.
Engagement is characterized by employees being committed to the organization, believing in what it stands for and being prepared to go above and beyond what is expected of them to deliver outstanding service to the customer. Employee engagement is more a psychological contract than a physical one. It is something the employee has to offer. As we will see, employees make a choice about how they behave and the extent to which they are engaged. Engaged employees feel inspired by their work, they are customer focused in their approach, they care about the future of the company and are prepared to invest their own effort to see that the organization succeeds.
Engagement can be summed up by how positively the employee:
?    thinks about the organization;
?    feels about the organization;
?    is proactive in relation to achieving organizational goals for customers, colleagues and other stakeholders.
In other words, it is about the degree to which employees perform their role in a positive and proactive manner.
Engagement therefore is about what employees think rationally about their employers, what they feel about them, their emotional connection, as well as what they do and say as a result in relation to their co-employees and their customers.
So why has employee engagement become so important across the globe? There are two key reasons: the increasing power of the customer and the increasing power of the employee.

THE BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Creating the conditions where employees feel able to give of their best therefore results in documented benefits such as:
?    greater productivity;
?    increased passion for and commitment to the organization’s vision, strategy and goals;
?    greater alignment with the organization’s values;
?    a high-energy working environment;
?    a greater sense of team;
?    higher levels of creativity and innovation;
?    a greater sense of loyalty to the organization;
?    higher staff retention, lowered attrition rate;
?    better recruitment and selection;
?    higher talent retention;
?    employees being better brand ambassadors;
?    attractive reputation;
?    improved customer experience and customer loyalty;
?    boosted business growth;
?    greater value creation;
?    sustained, long-term success.




IDENTIFYING ACTIVELY ENGAGED EMPLOYEES
When employee was highly engaged, I would probably see this through:
?    Cognitive engagement: the degree to which the employee focuses very hard on work. Engaged employees are focused and at one with their work. For example, they are not distracted from what they are doing, they display single-mindedness and high energy.
?    Emotional engagement: the degree to which the employee feels engrossed in the work. Engaged employees are ‘in the zone’, they are engrossed in what they are doing to the extent that they do not become distracted. They live in the ‘here and now’ when they are at work.




?    Physical engagement: the degree to which employees are willing to go the extra mile, not just in terms of customer service but also for themselves, for example in taking responsibility for their own learning and development, in finding new ways of doing things and in putting in discretionary effort.
?    Advocacy: the extent to which employees recommend the organization to their family and friends in terms of job opportunities and doing business with the organization. A key determinant is how employees portray the organization to others when they are outside work. Do they show pride in the organization? Do they relate to it and talk as ‘we’ rather than ‘they?’




There is a buzz about an organization where employees are truly engaged. People feel trusted, valued and empowered. They are emotionally committed and personally involved; there are high levels of motivation and enthusiasm.
One way of describing the level of engagement that an employee has is to gauge their enthusiasm and energy level and the degree of positivity that they display at work. The model has two dimensions. The first is employees’ attitude towards the customer, their colleagues and the organization, be it positive or negative. The second is their enthusiasm and drive towards activity, be it positive (active) or negative (inactive).

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8 Guiding Principles of the High-Impact Middle Management System. Middle Manager’s Guide To Success.

July 20, 2010 by oscadmin · 14 Comments
Filed under: Business Management 

The Guiding Principles of the High-Impact Middle Management System




Every management system is built on a set of assumptions and principles. These values form the foundation for each philosophy, technique, and tool included in the system. The High-Impact Middle Management System was designed with eightbasic principles in mind. These principles speak to what is unique about middle management and how middle managers produce great results. These guiding principles apply to organizations of any size or in any industry. In addition to providing a theoretical backdrop for the system, the guiding principles of high-impact middle management can be powerful catalytic tools when used as part of a middle manager’s definition of success. Let’s look at each principle.




Principle 1: Being a Middle Manager Is Exciting

In almost any company, the most challenging and rewarding jobs will be in middle management. Why? Because middle managers are close to the action, but they also take part in shaping the future strategy and direction of the company. Top executives rarely get to see the action in which middle managers take part, and they also must deal with more bureaucracy and politics.

Frontline managers get to see the action but rarely help determine the company’s future. As a middle manager, you have your finger on the pulse of the company and can make things happen. Senior executives trust talented middle managers to implement the organization’s vision and deliver on its business proposition. And because, in most companies, there are several layers of middle management, most middle managers can enjoy the benefits of this fascinating work while progressing in their career.




Principle 2: Middle Management Is a Craft

The middle manager’s job is complex and dynamic, and thus requires focus to deliver results. Weighing competing demands and making choices about how to manage time takes practice and development. As managers grow and mature, they hone their craft and create a style that is effective and unique to them. Along the way, they also learn techniques and practices via mentoring, training, and coaching. The purpose of this book is to help you hone your management skills.
Principle 3: Great Managers Do What Others Don’t or Won’t

A middle manager’s job is littered with tasks that are undesirable, tiring, mundane, or even frightening. Great managers do things that others put off, procrastinate, or ignore. Mediocre managers don’t. Not everyone likes to counsel employees or create work plans, but these tasks are necessary and time sensitive.
Principle 4: Beliefs Determine Behavior

Managers act on what they think about most and on what they believe to be true. Their actions come from a set of beliefs formed about job responsibilities, expectations, and reinforcement. To create a different result, you need to adopt a different mindset. Breakthroughs can occur when beliefs line up with efforts to achieve the desired outcome.
Principle 5: Relationships Influence Results

Relationships developed with team members, peers, managers, and customers are important. If you discount relationships, you won’t garner the cooperation and support you need from others to produce ideal results— and you are more likely to see your career derail. Great managers develop and maintain positive relationships. Managers who are poor team players or unpleasant to work with are less successful. Many eventually lose their jobs, and most will not progress far. The old admonition rings true here: Never burn your bridges.
Principle 6: Managerial Strengths and Weaknesses Are Known

People notice who is charismatic, who gets defensive, and whether someone is likely to pass the buck. Management is public work, and it is noticed by employees and coworkers every day. Everyone knows who is the best negotiator and who is the underperformer. Because strengths and weaknesses are known, there is no disadvantage to openly discussing them. As a manager, you have a choice to make. You can take an interest in and deal with development needs, or you can ignore them and hope no one notices. But the latter strategy is flawed because people do notice. The only practical and helpful approach is to see faults and failings for what they are and openly discuss them so improvement can occur. Managers should never want to be the last to know if they have a personality trait that is driving people nuts or derailing the work. Those managers who acknowledge the areas where they need to improve will enjoy more support and respect from others than will those who do not.





Principle 7: Great Middle Management Can Be Learned, but One Must “Get It”

Middle management is a craft, a set of practices, and a job that managers can learn with the right training and guidance. Good middle managers are cultivated, not born. Great managers come in wildly different styles and personalities. However, it is essential that all middle managers fully understand their jobs and accountability. Managers who don’t take on their role are not likely to succeed and will often see their careers stall or dwindle.
Principle 8: Middle Managers Exist to Make Things Happen

Middle managers are not there to simply oversee what is going to occur on its own. They make a huge difference and play a vital role in improving the business. It is in the face of defeat, during an impending failure, or on the verge of an exciting opportunity that a middle manager’s role kicks into high gear. Great middle managers know they exist to make a positive difference and seek out opportunities to make an impact.

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