Passion makes progress possible. Employee passion. Member passion. Volunteer passion. A leader’s passion for their teams and for excellence in everything the organization does. If as leaders we understand the value of engagement what explains so many employees being disengaged from their work? A recent survey conducted by BlessingWhite has found that fewer than one in three North American workers are fully engaged. Moreover, 19% are completely disengaged, and a further 13% are disillusioned and at risk for becoming disengaged. What does this mean for your organization?
On the disengaged side of the curve it could mean significant lost revenues, dissatified members and customers, skyrocketing costs and a seriously demoralized workforce incapable or unwilling to respond to an unfolding business crisis. According to BlessingWhite, disengaged employees are the most disconnected to organizational priorities and are not getting what they need from work. If left alone, people in this group are likely to collect a paycheck and enjoy favorable job conditions but contribute minimally. Some disengaged will leave, but more likely they will just talk about leaving.
On the fully engaged side of the arc, there are a significant number of surveys suggesting higher engagement numbers mean increased profits and earnings per share for corporations. Engaged employees are contributing fully to the success of the organization, find great satisfaction in their work and bring added effort and initiative to the work at hand. Almost engaged employees are among the high performers and are reasonably satisfied with their job. These employees deserve attention from management because they they are highly employable and have the shortest distance to travel to reach full engagement.
How much does it matter? Best Buy reports that a tenth of a point gain in engagement among store employees translates to an additional $100,000 in sales for that store. Likewise a study by the Society of Human Resource Management examining engaged employees in a manufacturing environment having $63 in safety incident expenses versus an average of $392 for disengaged employees. There’s value in maximizing engagement and there are excellent tools available for leaders to bring to bear on improving outcomes. Look to part two of No Passion. No Progress. for more ideas.
