A lot has been written lately about companies developing an \u201cengaged\u201d workforce, meaning employees who are energized by their work and committed to helping the company achieve its goals.\u00a0 In fact, I blogged about becoming a \u201cwinning workplace\u201d a few months ago that touched on this subject.\u00a0 In their book, \u201cIt\u2019s My Company Too!\u00a0 How entangled companies move beyond employee engagement for remarkable results,\u201d authors Kenneth R. Thompson, Ramon L. Benedetto, and Thomas J. Walter suggest that a workforce can go beyond \u201cengaged\u201d to a higher level of dedication and commitment they call \u201centangled.\u201d\u00a0 They recognized that the word \u201centangled\u201d usually carries a negative connotation (does for me!) but argued that in the context of their book, \u201centangled\u201d is both appropriate and positive.\u00a0 So I tried to keep an open mind, but I just couldn\u2019t get there . . . by the end of the book, I was still cringing every time I saw that word.\u00a0 Nonetheless, the book uses eight case studies to demonstrate the results companies can get when they engage their workforces at very high levels.\u00a0 For more on \u201cengaged\u201d workforces, please read below.\u00a0 If you want to read more on \u201centangled\u201d workforces, buy the book.<\/p>\n
In the first place, why should you be interested in an \u201cengaged\u201d workforce in anyway?\u00a0 Maybe because it\u2019s more satisfying to create a place where people are excited about their work and committed to the company\u2019s goals than it is to preside over a sweatshop.\u00a0 Or maybe you should be interested for more hardheaded business reasons, like:<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lower turnover.\u00a0 It\u2019s just common sense that people will stay longer at a place where they feel included as a valued member of a team than they will at a place where they are treated as just another employee.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Higher productivity.\u00a0 When turnover goes down, productivity goes up because you\u2019ve got experienced people doing the work instead of trainees.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Higher profits.\u00a0 When turnover goes down, profits go up because you\u2019re not wasting a lot of money on recruiting and training costs.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Better customer service.\u00a0 Your customers will get a better experience with energized, committed people than they will from people who are just putting in their time.\u00a0 Simple as that.<\/p>\n
There are lots of other benefits to having an engaged workforce, but those should be enough to get your attention.<\/p>\n
So where do you begin?\u00a0 If you feel your people are not fully engaged, how do you create an environment that supports and nurtures a fully engaged workforce?<\/p>\n
Since whole books (like \u201cIt\u2019s My Company Too!\u201d) have been written on this subject, it won\u2019t be possible to give a full answer here in just a few paragraphs, so consider this the introduction to a series on workforce \u201cengagement.\u201d\u00a0 Even spread out over several postings, the subject is too broad to cover fully, but hopefully we\u2019ll be able to cover some basics and peak your interest to learn more.<\/p>\n
Stay tuned for the first installment.\u00a0 We\u2019ll talk about the foundational piece of the puzzle that must be in place before any of the other pieces will fit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A lot has been written lately about companies developing an \u201cengaged\u201d workforce, meaning employees who are energized by their work and committed to helping the company achieve its goals.\u00a0 In fact, I blogged about becoming a \u201cwinning workplace\u201d a few months ago that touched on this subject.\u00a0 In their book, \u201cIt\u2019s My Company Too!\u00a0 How<\/p>\n