Who is Responsible for Employee Engagement?

One of the forum’s at the Employee Engagement Network got my juices flowing. The title was:

Want Engagement? Hold Your Managers Responsible!

I have taken the comment I wrote and repeated it here. I thank Derek Irvine for starting the forum and Terrence Seamon for making a contribution.

My response seemed strong and I was genuinely surprised by it. I would love to hear your comment.

It has been said that meaning is in people not words so this is the meaning I carry. I believe each person is responsible for their own engagement.

Anything else potentially diminishes our personal power, can lead to helplessness while creating disengaging victim and villain stories in the workplace.

Of course, there are toxic cultures and companies that don’t contribute to engagement and we need to decide if that is the place for us to work and how much energy we are willing to engage a disengaged organization. Viktor Frankl’s living in a death camp example is extreme but demonstrates that we can engage in any circumstances!

I would slightly rephrase his statement: those who have a why to work can bear almost any how.

Even thought I just wrote this, I hate how this may sound like some kind of motivational pep talk and hope that it is seen as an invitation not some kind of injunction or imposition by someone (me) who does not fully know your unique circumstances.

Having focused on the individual we need to move from me to we. We are not alone. we are in this together. That means that I may be responsible for my own engagement while I am accountable for the other people I work with.

My approach to accountability is not about checking up on you, it is about checking in with you.

Who knew writing this little comment would lead to a bit of an engagement rant but I guess this is what happens as I turn 55 in 2 weeks!

Employee engagement for all begins with the self but it certainly does not end with the self. Our employee engagement network demonstrates this perfectly.

Thanks for posting this forum Derek, it got my juices flowing.

Engage along with me, the best is yet to be!

David

Click here to contribute to the forum.

What do you think? I welcome all voices as I strive to understand engagement and contribute to authentic employee engagement for all.

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