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Business management principles have their trends. It may be a new take on leadership, how to manage your time, build collaborative teams or be more innovative. People tell us the latest and greatest concepts on how we could better manage our businesses.

Is “employee engagement” the new business buzzword? Is it another initiative that gets nicely packaged but poorly implemented, or a true paradigm shift for creating a healthy, vibrant and high-performing work environment?

It’s a complicated answer. By some accounts, employee engagement is just old school caring for your employees as people and not just resources. Ah, if business was that simple! With the pressures that businesses face on a daily basis and the natural complexity of human dynamics, fostering engagement is simply not a straightforward solution.

Demystifying employee engagement

At the most basic level, people want to enjoy coming to work, understand their role and know how their work contributes to the success of the organization. They want to get value from what they produce – and that value is not just a competitive salary. Top of the list of what employees have indicated they want from their work: a sense of accomplishment, acknowledgement, appreciation, being part of something bigger than themselves, camaraderie, respect, autonomy and opportunity for growth.

Understanding what is at stake

The beauty of a well-thought-out and integrated approach to employee engagement is that it is inherently win-win. In my opinion, it’s not so much an “initiative” or “program,” but a genuine way of cultivating a team’s potential. There’s no question that engaged employees are more productive. There are many other equally compelling reasons why employers should put some intentionality and energy behind how they engage their people, including:

• Improved quality of work

• Enhanced team collaboration

• Improved client relations and company reputation

• Powerful recruitment

• Increased efficiencies

• Greater conduciveness to change; improved adoption and implementation of new initiatives

• Reduction in turnover

• Safer work environments

• Less absenteeism

Jim Harter, a chief scientist at Gallup Research, writes, “Engaged employees are more attentive and vigilant. They look out for the needs of their co-workers and the overall enterprise, because they personally ‘own’ the result of their work and that of the organization.”

Why is it so challenging to foster engagement, and where should I start?

Harter writes, “Many organizations measure either the wrong things, or too many things, or don’t make the data intuitively actionable. Many don’t make engagement a part of their overall strategy, or clarify why employee engagement is important, or provide quality education to help managers know what to do with the results, and in what order.”

Instead of guessing, ask employees. It’s a basic human need to be acknowledged and feel appreciated. Find out specifically what this means to individual team members. Also, ask them how they can contribute and what they would like to learn. Really listen to their answers and demonstrate that you’ve heard them by following through with actions.

Set expectations. One of the most basic assumptions we make is thinking that employees have clarity about what is expected of them. This is a common communication mishap. Consider developing expectations together. This exercise ensures clarity and invites a stronger commitment.

Re-examine the manager-employee relationship. This relationship is the cornerstone of success. It’s the building block for growth. If you don’t believe that to be true, consider this: The number one reason employees quit their jobs is because of a poor relationship with their direct manager.

Good managers drive performance, stimulate learning, and play a key role in maximizing employees’ contribution to the firm. “Regardless of what else you expect from your managers, facilitating employee learning and development should be a non-negotiable competency,” said Monique Valcour, a management professor in the EDHEC Business School in France.

Not every supervisor is a natural at engaging employees. Managers may have earned their position because of their knowledge, skills and longevity with the company, but lack the relationship-building side of leadership. Provide managers with coaching on how to conduct regular, candid and constructive discussions with staff. Train them on giving real-time feedback and the art of active listening. Consider posing this question to your management team: “How can we harness employee strengths, interests and passions to create greater value for the firm?”

Create a transparent work environment. Nothing builds trust like transparency, and trust is foundational for engagement. Transparency shines a light on the context for company decisions. Armed with the knowledge of the company’s direction and challenges, people can connect and align their responsibilities to larger organizational objectives. Transparency is an everyday exercise of inclusion and attitude of respect.

Making it meaningful and effective

I know employee engagement is beginning to sound like the Holy Grail, right? It’s important to note that it’s not a “one size fits all” approach. You have to look at the specific needs of your people and your business. It cannot be this year’s trend or the next corporate initiative. It needs to be a wholehearted commitment to your people, for their benefit and for the health of your organization.

Open up meaningful, direct dialogue. Create trust through transparency. Give them real responsibilities and coach them on how to be successful. The enthusiasm, energy and initiative in which your employees engage in will be mutually rewarding.

Take the K Challenge: What will you start doing to foster an engaged and empowered team?

Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or [email protected].