We have a real employee engagement problem in the UK: a shocking 70% of staff don't trust their managers; and 64% say they have more to offer their employers if they had the chance.
No wonder we have such a productivity gap!
In my experience...
...from 45 years in business, lack of engagement has two main causes:
- Disengaged leadership; and
- Lack of meaning in their work.
These two factors are intimately related.
If we...
...as leaders are not engaging fully with our teams, how can we possibly expect them to feel engaged?
There is a way for us to address both these issues:
PURPOSE
When we lead on purpose - a purpose beyond profit - it creates a focal point that draws us all together. It gives us a point of engagement and defines the meaning people attach to their work.
ACTION POINT
What's your purpose?
Who does your organisation serve, and why and how does it serve them?
And how do you use this to engage and create meaning for your people?
As an example...
...I once met a young lady who worked in a printed circuit board factory. When I asked her what she did, she explained that she soldered the long yellow and the short blue wires onto the PCBs.
I enquired further and found out that the boards were used in the control panels of aircraft, including Concorde. I then pointed out to her that her actual job was:
Ensuring the safety of millions of passengers.
That's quite a big purpose!
So that's your job as a leader: to define your purpose in real and meaningful terms, and use it to engage and inspire your team.
