On October 19 (What Happens When…)I listed 5 ways an organization (specifically, its managers) can stimulate and improve employee engagement. (Previous postings for the first 4 can be accessed: 1, 2, 3, 4)
Now let’s elaborate on #5:
Tools and resources (including education) are made readily available
for the employee to initiate her/his individual improvement.
We start with the assumption that everyone desires to improve performance…continually. Yet we know not everyone fulfills that desire. Each of us knows people who just don’t make the effort to improve.
One reason for their stasis: fear of the unknown. Individuals uncertain of what, where, how, and who may fear taking on performance improvement. Consider someone asking:
- What materials, tools, equipment, instruction, information do I need to improve my performance?
- Where do I find them?
- How do I create time and structure in which to use those resources and improve my performance?
- Who is available to provide coaching and guidance, if/when I need it?
The engaged individual will find answers. She will make time and effort to locate resources. He will manage his time and organizational sphere and apply the resources to fulfill his improvement desire. And if desired or necessary, each will bring the appropriate adviser into the picture. (Engagement does generate performance improvement.)
The flip side applies. The person who is not engaged will probably not pro-actively seek answers to what? where? how? and who? Consequently, that individual’s performance improvement desire is likely to be dormant.
I’ve maintained before that a manager cannot make an employee engaged.
But I do maintain this: a manager can stimulate an employee to(ward) engagement, by making performance improvement resources and opportunities available. Providing these removes the unknown and removes (or lessens) the employee’s fear.
So, what can a manager do to provide improvement resources for her staff?
- Build a learning environment
- Brown bag lunches
- Guest speakers (not necessarily "trainers")
- A full-force library (not necessarily only job/industry related)
- Informative agenda items (not only "old business" and "new business")
- Engage staff in building that learning environment
- "What do you want to learn?" surveys
- Continuous feedback/evaluation of all types of learning by employees
- Enlist employees as teachers in their expertise
- Demonstrate appreciation for learning
- Celebrate employees earning certificates, diplomas, licenses
- Provide access to training and education: on-site, on-line, on demand
- Make "what have we learned?" a consistent conversation item
And it’s pretty obvious we’re talking about the manager who is already highly engaged herself, isn’t it?
