“Engagement” and “involvement” may sound like the same thing, but as we use those terms here, they are not.

If employee engagement is about winning the hearts of employees, then employee involvement is about getting their heads in the game as well . . . getting them involved in operational problem-solving, decision-making, and continuous improvement.  Employee involvement will kick-start employee engagement.

Does that mean we’ll be running the company as a democracy?

No, management will still make final decisions, but it does mean employees will be able to offer input and have a voice.  There’s a symbiotic relationship between involvement and engagement.  An involved employee will be more open to higher levels of engagement in the company, but it’s also true that an engaged employee will seek even deeper levels of involvement.  Yin and Yang.  Each feeds the other.  So, when an employee has a place at the table when decisions are being made that impact his or her job, that higher level of involvement will also drive higher levels of engagement.