| Employee Engagement - Step 3 - Work Relevance | |
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We all need to be reminded from time to time as to why it is that we do our jobs. What is it about the work that we chose to do, the industry we were drawn to work in, that floats our boat?
I could be being a little idealistic as some people believe that it is "just a job" bringing in the cash for other parts of their life. Some of us think that where we are working and how we ended up there occurred through a combination of choices, opportunities taken (or lost), natural progression of talents, and in some instances, targeted career moves. In any case, the decisions we have made have resulted in us working in a particular role. As a manager, you can easily help to increase employees engagement through demonstrating to them that they are undertaking meaningful work. This is quick and easy and may well assist you in remembering why you are there also! There are only two steps involved in understanding how your work is meaningful. How does your work role impact on others? Talk about this in team meetings and huddles. This is fairly easy in a service delivery or manufacturing area - you are providing something directly to the consumer and/or client who wants it, needs it, treasures it, or gets a direct benefit. This is the same for internal roles, just with an increased degree of separation. For example, the IT Help Desk staff within an organisation provide support to others who can then deliver on the organisation's outputs making their work meaningful. If they don't provide that support, then the organisation's service delivery falters. How does your work deliver on organizations goals? Every role in an organisation must be delivering on the organisation's strategy, otherwise it wouldn't exist. Making a direct link between work roles and organisation strategy and relating staff productivity to these outcomes increases engagement. Get excited about working with others to deliver something greater than yourself that is for the benefit of others. Sounds like a philosophy for life.... |
