Three reasons why an engaged team performs better than a happy team

If you're a leader, you want people willing to overcome many challenges and work together to reach goals, right? You want and need engaged team members that find satisfaction and happiness in getting the job done. Happiness is better framed as a benefit--along with performance--of being fully engaged. Remaining vigilant about use of language is useful for leaders who want to make wise decisions that lead to a fully engaged, high-performance team.

I’ll never forget a conversation I had with my law school dean. I started a sentence with, “Well, basically…” My dean stopped me mid-sentence and said, “Matt, words matter. Be precise.” I felt rebuked in the moment, but over time I have come to appreciate the truth of that statement. I have taken that wisdom with me into my career helping leaders develop engaged, collaborative teams and healthy organizations. The concept of happy employees is often used interchangeably with engagement. I don’t believe they are the same thing. Here's why, and why it matters.

1.    Happiness is fleeting

Happiness is a feeling and feelings come and go. A leader who frames their goal as making people happy will be more inclined to focus on the wrong solutions. We’ve come across organizations that confuse one-off employee recognition events, summer picnics and cutest-pet picture competitions as paths to happy, engaged employees. My point is not that these things are inherently bad, but a person can enjoy a picnic one day and go back to the office the next and be just as disconnected and disengaged from the values and goals of the team.

2.    Success requires conflict

The foundation of a successful team is communication--the ability to exchange regular, constructive feedback while growing relationships. Feedback is the key to all learning and development. Engaged team members can express disagreement, argue, debate and grow relationships simultaneously. In fact, the strongest bonds are often formed during times of conflict. Conflict done well leads to better results as ideas are pressure tested and refined. Successful leaders need team members committed enough to the values of the organization to speak up when those values are not being reflected in behaviors. In some cases, leaders who prioritize their version of happiness will convey the message that acting happy and keeping the peace is more important than providing honest feedback and opinions. Some well-meaning leaders hurt their effort by prioritizing happiness over healthy, honest exchange. It is hard to be committed and fully engaged when the message from the top is that keeping people “happy” is the priority. 

3.    Engaged people find joy in performance

An engaged employee is first and foremost committed. Everything, including happiness, flows from that. They show up to work knowing what they are responsible for doing, and why. They believe in the mission, and they trust that the stated values of the organization are more than just words on a paper. When trouble comes, and periods of stress and unhappiness dominate, the engaged team member takes a deep breath, collaborates, solves problems and hangs on. They feel satisfaction and happiness as a result of overcoming challenges to meet goals.

I’m in no way suggesting that happiness and engagement are an either-or proposition. But words do matter. The danger for leaders is that by stating that one’s goal is to make people “happy,” it could lead to implementing initiatives that at best lead to temporary moments of happiness, and at worst stifle healthy engagement.  

If you agree that the foundation of a healthy, engaged team is regular, honest communication and feedback, link up with me and check us out at temenosinc.com. And if you are in Melbourne, we hope to see you at our upcoming seminar.

JOIN US IN MELBOURNE!

If you are looking for behavioral tools and methods for developing highly-engaged, healthy teams, join us in Melbourne, Australia on 13 June for our upcoming seminar:

Behavioral Excellence? Seminar for Leaders:

Effective Tools for Building Healthy High-Performance Feedback Cultures

Click HERE (or on the graphic below this video) for more information and registration.