When reading through my pal Derek Irvine’s Globoforce blog the other day, I came across an interesting citation for a Gallup poll that purported to advise managers how to enhance employee engagement when faced with the prospect of a continued recession.
According to the report, engagement — which is defined as an emotional attachment between an employee and the workplace — is a potent weapon against the fear reactions sparked by bad economic times and continued uncertainty. According to Gallup’s Jennifer Robison, who wrote the report:
“When things go badly, people’s ‘fight-or flight’ response is stimulated,” says James K. Harter, Ph.D., Gallup’s chief scientist of workplace management and well-being and coauthor of 12: The Elements of Great Managing. “In times of stress, it’s natural for managers to push harder, to want more from employees. But to get more with less, managers need to bring clarity to the situation and engage them [employees].
“Engaged workers are confident that their opinions count, that their boss cares about them, that they have the equipment they need to do their jobs, and that they have a best friend at work.“
So what are you doing to promote employee engagement in your own workplace? Check out Globoforce’s ideas on employee engagement for inspiration, or see what I’ve written about engagement on Team Taskmaster. And share your own ideas in the comments section.
