ENGAGEMENT, Acknowledging Employees

Engagement and emotional intelligence are increasingly prominent terms I hear in business. While often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings and impacts that warrant separate treatment.

???????????? Most businesses rely heavily on human resources. The diversity of employees' creates unpredictability, making corporate culture a key tool for unifying diverse behavior into a cohesive asset. Gaining cultural compliance requires employee willingness.

Willingness is defined as being "inclined or favorably disposed in mind, ready, eager to help, prompt to act or respond" (Merriam-Webster), or "the promise to perform agreed to financial [business] obligation" (Black's Law). These definitions align with desired employee personal willingness and group cultural behavior.

Without willing employees, a business lacks competitiveness. Businesses need energetic, excited employees who buy into the vision and contribute their fullest measure of will and skill. Our responsibility is to create a workplace that draws out employees' full potential, based on their work satisfaction and our resulting competitive advantage.

Two widely accepted theories guide the transforming of employees from passive to active participants.

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1.?Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Achieving employee "self-actualization" or “will,” requires meeting their physiological, safety, love/belonging, and esteem needs.

2.?Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory: Leaders must first hygienically clean away demotivating conditions (poor supervision, substandard wages, job insecurity, irrational policies, challenging relationships, inadequate benefits) before expecting motivation. Then, motivating factors can be added to include work or career related recognition, responsibility, opportunity, growth, achievement, and job interest.

Much in these theories is simple to do.?I find that not all need to be perfectly in place to gain the greatest will and skill of employees.

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Unifying a diverse workforce into a willing and skilled resource driving a competitive advantage requires seeing employees as human beings with basic needs. After addressing Maslow’s and Herzberg’s physical needs (fair wages, safety, job security, etc.), leaders must apply the theories’ more emotional needs with administrative actions. This means demonstrating concern for employees as people, equally important to production.

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So, engagement is connecting with employees as valued people with physical, intellectual, and emotional needs and desires, even if not personally (that is emotional intelligence).?Show yourself, be present and simply be friendly, fair, kind, respectful, acknowledging, and inclusive.?Also, they will know you through rational policies that represent you in your absence.?This approach, while simple in concept, can have a profound impact on employee satisfaction, retention, market advantage, and overall business success.