The Enemy of Engagement:
Put an end to Workplace Frustration
By: Mark Royal and Tom Agnew
In their book, The Enemy of Engagement, Mark Royal and Tom Agnew uncover the hidden impediments to performance (excessive procedures, lack of resources, overly narrow roles, etc) and outline best-practice solutions for eliminating them. Based on years of research from Hay Group, the authors make the case for focusing on the dedicated and valued workers who are unable to achieve their full potential as a result of barriers or obstacles in their organization. Taking action to more effectively enable these employees to succeed represents an untapped avenue for rapidly improving productivity.
According to work done by Hay Group, between one-third and one-half of employees report work conditions that keep them from being as productive as they could be. Even in those organizations that enjoy high levels of employee engagement there is still a struggle with performance issues. In these environments, employees are energized by goals and objectives and are eager to help their organizations succeed. But they themselves often indicate that they do not feel optimally productive.
What’s the missing piece? Engaged employees who are frustrated by current work conditions often seem to be saying to organizational leaders, “Help me help you. Put me in a role that leverages my skills and abilities and allows me to do what I do best. Give me the tools, technology, information, support, and other resources I need to be effective. And, finally, get out of my way. Don’t dilute my focus and consume my energy with tasks that don’t add value. And don’t introduce procedural barriers that will interfere with my ability to get things done.”
Recent Hay Group research indicates that in organizations today, frustrated employees may represent 20% or more of the total workforce. In The Enemy of Engagement, the multiple ways that low levels of enablement can negatively impact engaged employees and their organizations are explored. Specific leadership and managerial behaviours and organizational tools and processes that enhance enablement and reduce frustration are explored in detail.
If the essence of management is getting things done through people, then good managers clearly need to create work climates where people can maximize their potential. The Enemy of Engagement focuses on helping managers understand the conditions that foster employee frustration, and how they can more effectively manage their teams to ensure that employees are not only willing by also able to make maximum contributions.
A Checklist of Enablement Strategies
Managers are bombarded with messages about how important it is to motivate and inspire their people. Very little attention, however, has been given to how managers can most effectively translate employee motivation into optimal levels of performance. Unfortunately, the commitment and discretionary effort offered by engaged employees can be squandered if managers are not careful to position employees in roles that fully leverage their potential and to provide them with the workplace supports they need to carry out their responsibilities.
The following chart provides some insights into how leaders can support the enablement of employees in their own organizations.
Performance Management
One third of employees don’t have clear goals
- Remember the “management” in performance management
- Clarify “must win battles” for employees
- Focus on enablement issues in discussing performance gaps
Authority and Empowerment
30% of employees feel they lack the authority to do their job effectively
- Provide “specific freedom to act”
- Be clear about the type of involvement desired
- Involve employees in rooting out inefficiencies
Resources
50% of employees worry about adequate staffing
- Identify, prioritize and advocate based on ROI
- Remember that staffing is about more than headcount
- Apparent constraints may signal problems in other areas.
Training
50% of employees feel there is not enough time to take advantage of training opportunities
- View it as a process rather than an event
- Promote equity and fairness
- Make it a priority (despite workloads and cost constraints)
Collaboration
Nearly half of employees feel other teams in the company don’t provide high-quality support
- Make sure managers wear their “enterprise hats”
- Share people as well as information
- Be sure that rewards reinforce the message
Work Structure and Process
Nearly half of employees give their organizations low marks for being effectively structured
- Beware of the “trap” of routines
- Focus innovative activities — and manage the pace of change
- Identify mechanisms for incorporating new thinking
Hay Group is a global management consulting firm that works with leaders to transform strategy into reality. For more on The Enemy of Engagement, visit: www.haygroup.com/ww/enemyofengagement
