Much is said and written about Employee Satisfaction. We believe that so long as your work conditions are safe, and your paycheck clears there is every reason for an employee to be satisfied – those are base expectations. The more challenging hurdle is how to create an environment where employees are engaged. How do we increase Employee Engagement levels – such that they are emotionally invested in organizational success?
General Patton famously said: “Don’t tell people how to go take the hill, tell them the hill needs to be taken, and stand back and be astonished by their ingenuity.”
Our philosophy of Engagement vs Satisfaction is founded in this principle. The hill must be taken. What tools, talent, and resources do you need to make that happen? How long do you think it will reasonably take you? Who will you rely on to take the hill? How can we check in regularly to ensure you’re making the process necessary to take the hill on the schedule we’ve agreed upon?
This massive transition in thinking from holding employees Accountable – to a culture where they take Ownership of their plan, their actions, their leadership, and their results is a fundamental element of an engaged workforce.
Ownership is hearts and minds. Accountability is imposed. Once you’ve created a culture of Employee Ownership, engagement levels will skyrocket, and buoyed by the right feedback loops including recognition, training, performance reviews, and compensation – employee satisfaction levels will jump as well.
You have a hill to take? Empower your team to take ownership of the Plan, Actions, Schedule, and Budget to make it happen. And that’s a far cry from worrying about how to Motivate them – because now you’ve Inspired them.
