HOW ENGAGED ARE MEMBERS OF YOUR STAFF AT YOUR SCHOOL?

I know. Asking about how engaged your staff are at the beginning of the second week of Term 4 may not be great timing, but a recent report on employee engagement from Gallup is a bit concerning. Of course you might excuse a bit of detachment at this stage of the school year, when staff encounter a hill of assessment task responses and a mountain of end-of-year reports – all to be completed in the next six or seven weeks.

What Gallup found was that employee disengagement, stress levels and burnout continue to rise, challenging the effectiveness of current engagement strategies despite the substantial investments enterprises across the employment spectrum have been making ?in employee engagement initiatives, especially since the pandemic. According to Gallup, an estimated $8.9 trillion has been lost in global GDP due to low engagement.

In response to this, Anna Barnhill, who is the CEO of Advantedge Leadership, an executive and leadership coaching organisation, asks, Are we focusing on the wrong metric? (see Rethinking Employee Engagement: Why Fulfilment Should Be The Focus, in Forbes, 4 Sep 24).

Traditional engagement metrics, focused on employee involvement and enthusiasm fail to capture the full scope of an employee's experience, Barnhill asserts, explaining that she favours a shift towards fulfilment. She adopts what she describes as a comprehensive approach that addresses a wide range of psychological needs and motivations.

Thinking about engagement alone often misses the intrinsic factors crucial for long-term motivation and satisfaction, Barnhill claims, contrasting this with fulfilment, which delves into these deeper layers, catering to the entire spectrum of an employee's psychological and emotional needs. This holistic approach acknowledges that employees are not just cogs in a corporate machine, she continues, but complex individuals who have diverse needs and motivations, including seeking after career growth, a desire for ongoing personal and professional development, together with a need for enhanced emotional health as well as a sense of purpose and also of belonging.

Fulfilment At Work: The Key To Unlocking Productivity And Innovation

Barnhill draws upon long-established, tried and tested theories of human motivation. Understanding and addressing both foundational and higher-level human needs is critical for creating a fulfilling workplace, Barnhill affirms, as is highlighted by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. Barnhill outlines how Maslow's framework visualises a progression starting with physiological needs and ascending to a need to feel safe; then feeling as though you are loved or belong in a family or group; then a need for self-esteem and finally self-actualisation. Herzberg’s theory complements this, Barnhill states, by distinguishing between ‘hygiene factors’ (which prevent dissatisfaction) and ‘motivators’ (which enhance job satisfaction).

To foster a productive and fulfilling work environment, Barnhill encourages organisations to minimise - by ensuring fair policies, adequate supervision, competitive salaries and good working conditions; while simultaneously enhancing satisfiers by promoting employee autonomy, individual skills mastery, a sense of purpose in one’s work purpose and recognition for one’s achievements. In combination, these practices can lead to greater job satisfaction and overall organisational health, Barnhill avers, noting that real fulfilment arises from nurturing not just the operational but the aspirational aspects of work life.

Further insights from behavioural economics - including Thaler and Sunstein’s Nudge Theory; ?and also neuroscientific research?on stress, underscore the significant influence of non-rational factors on employee behaviour, Barnhill reports, suggesting these non-rational factors have a positive effect on both individual productivity and creativity. These studies confirm that a sense of personal fulfilment at work not only enhances innovation and sustainability but also improves bottom-line results and enhances outcomes, she writes, adding that employees who?feel more fulfilled at work exhibit heightened creativity, productivity and alignment with organisational goals. By integrating these insights, organisations can design workplaces and evolve a workplace culture that support and meet basic needs and foster individual psychological well-being, thereby promoting a culture of innovation and strategic thinking.

Strategies which Nurture Workplace Fulfilment

Achieving workplace fulfilment involves more than satisfying basic needs, Barnhill counsels; it requires deeply engaging employees in their roles and fostering a sense of purpose that transcends routine job functions. She goes on to offer effective strategies for organisations like your school to adopt, which will enhance personal and professional fulfilment for your teachers.

1. Meeting Basic Needs

• Offer Competitive Salaries:?Barnhill urges you to ensure compensation packages are regularly reviewed and adjusted according to industry standards, regional cost of living and individual performance, making them both fair and motivating. In an award-regulated industry like education, your capacity to do this is somewhat constrained, but to the extent to which you can, positively and strongly encouraging and facilitating your staff to seek award-related advancement seek advanced standing on your respective award benefits them as well as your school and its students.
• Provide Safe Working Conditions:?She also emphasises the importance of ensuring ?the physical environment your staff work in is designed and equipped to promote physical health and wellbeing, as well as providing technology within the means your school can manage that supports efficiency and effectiveness both in classroom applications and particularly serving administrative purposes. ?Ensuring safety in all work environments too is an obvious addition, as is? consideration being given to promoting and maintaining a psychologically safe environment where positive inter-personal relationships are strongly encouraged, and respectful discussion in meetings and planning sessions is strongly mandated so that people feel safe offering opinions and new ideas.
• Develop Policies and Procedures which are Fit for Purpose:?Barnhill recommends you streamline administrative procedures to reduce bureaucracy. Use, and encourage others to use clear, concise language in all internal communications to minimise misunderstandings and promote a culture in which internal cohesion is nurtured, and shared objectives are articulated with clarity.

2. Social And Emotional Needs

• Nurture a Supportive Culture:?Barnhill advises you not underestimate how important it is that you cultivate an environment where respect, inclusivity and empathy are foundational. Encourage managers and team leaders to set an example by being accessible and responsive to team needs. Insist they run their meetings collaboratively and consultatively, valuing the ideas and suggestions made by all participating staff.
• Encourage Community Engagement:?Barnhill advocates creating opportunities for social interactions among members of staff, through team-building activities, whole-school staff conferences and other events. Staff at some schools share in community service projects that align with the school’s values. All these kinds of activities assist in enhancing a sense of belonging and a sense of shared purpose.
• Provide Mental Health Resources:?Most schools these days have an employee assistance program which provides confidential mental health support for staff who need it. Others provide access to coaching and mentoring from senior staff, as well as access to professional learning programs and conferences, as well as workshops and training programs that teach emotional resilience as well as supporting general mental well-being.

3. Recognition And Growth

• Design Appropriate Ways to Recognise Staff Contributions:?Barnhill suggests you develop programs that not only reward high performance but also acknowledge individual effort or personal achievements. In a school setting, you have to be sensitive that each teacher makes their own contribution in their own special way, and you need to guard against recognition procedures that ring a little hollow or are perceived to be less than authentic. Some schools get away with nominating a teacher of the week – many would not consider doing so. Authentic recognition of an individual teacher by affirming them and appreciating their work is one of the most important ways you can contribute to their sense of self-worth and professional satisfaction.? Strive to find ways of doing so – people love to have a good word from their Principal. Barnhill also suggests you consider peer recognition schemes where employees can celebrate each other's contributions and achievements.
• Help your Staff Develop their own Career Pathway:?Barnhill says you can offer clear, personalised career development plans for each staff member that align with individual skills and aspirations, and can form the basis of individual Staff Performance Appraisal and resultant Professional Learning Plans. Barnhill believes you should regularly update these plans through feedback and performance reviews to ensure they remain relevant.
• Practise Sound Talent Utilisation:?Your key role as a school leader is to ensure your staff grow, both personally and professionally, under your leadership. One way you can do this is to ensure that assigning roles is based upon tapping into each staff member’s unique skills and interests, providing opportunities for them to genuinely engage with their work.

?4. Autonomy And Innovation

• Plan Special Projects to Tap Into Individual Staff Talent:?Barnhill argues that you should encourage your staff to propose and lead projects based on their interests. This autonomy encourages innovation and a deeper connection to their work, and thus a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfilment.
• Invest in Individual Skill Development:?Schools flourish when individual staff members can access continuous learning opportunities such as workshops, courses and seminars that align with individual career goals and the organisation's needs. A teacher who is growing professionally will assist students in their learning, growth and development
• Encourage Freedom to Innovate:?Schools are places in which new ideas and new strategies should always be welcomed. There are always better ways of doing what we do! Barnhill says you should encourage a culture where new ideas are welcomed and tested. Facilitate brainstorming sessions and innovation hubs where teachers can collaboratively explore new concepts, as well as develop and implement them. Build in rigorous evaluation procedures as well, of course!

5. Environmental Design

• Utilise Nudge Strategies:?Barnhill advocates implementing design choices that subtly guide more productive behaviours. In a school, of course, options are somewhat constrained, but teachers should not be discouraged from implementing. For example, an open floor plan in a staff area can enhance collaboration, while quiet zones adjacent can support deeper focus.
• Implement Flexible Work Arrangements:?Barnhill, of course, is referring to a commercial environment. Schools are limited in their capacity to offer universal flexibility, but can support the concept of work-life balance, recognising that fulfilment often stems from a healthy work-life integration.
• Adopt Sustainable Practices:?Barnhill also suggests developing work environments that are environmentally sustainable. Again, in a school, your options for this may be limited, but you can encourage use of natural lighting, access to green spaces and utilising materials that reduce the ecological footprint. If you are planning new buildings, environmentally aware architecture can make a huge difference.

Measuring Success

Measuring fulfilment in the workplace involves capturing both tangible and intangible elements that contribute to an employee's overall sense of satisfaction and well-being, Barnhill attests. Experience shows that providing opportunities for staff to reflect with their direct-report leaders on how they are travelling can yield real benefits, both for the staff member and the school. When staff feel they are known and valued, and that their efforts in the classroom are appreciated, their sense of fulfilment is significantly enhanced. Integrating an intentional assessment of fulfilment into performance reviews can help the school assess how teachers feel about their personal and professional growth opportunities. Discussing long-term career aspirations and personal development goals can provide qualitative data on fulfilment as well.

By shifting from a narrow focus on engagement metrics to a broader commitment to fulfilment, organisations can transform their cultures, Barnhill advises, going on to say that this strategic pivot not only enhances productivity but also builds a more resilient, innovative and committed workforce. It aligns with a more nuanced understanding of human psychology and caters to the complex needs of today's staff members, positioning organisations like your school for sustainable success in a dynamic and changing world. Through this transformative approach, Barnhill concludes, workplaces become not merely productive but also prove to be profoundly empowering and fulfilling for every individual involved.

Might be worth giving it a try!

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