With thanks to Maslow for the idea.
As a leadership group at +Accsys (Pty) Ltd, we are constantly discussing ways to create a fully engaged company of people. While there are obvious reasons around productivity and profitability, it is such a pleasure to be part of a company where everybody enjoys coming to work, and are all working to fulfil the same goals and objectives.
Some years ago, we developed our own appraisal system, designed around employee expectations being aligned with employer expectations. We had a very real concern, at the time, that we only found out what was causing unhappiness and disengagement at the exit interview.
Setting up a model that created an environment where the line manager and the employee could openly discuss the job requirements, the company requirements and the employee's attitude and expectations, has made a significant difference.
However, like all models, we have found that there are a number of factors that need to be part of this. First of all, the managers need to be trained to use it. We are still working on this one!
Secondly, there need to be very clear guidelines around what we mean about soft issues like attitude. In other words, how do you draw a distinction between coming to work, and doing what you are told to do, and being the kind of employee who is seen as making a positive difference?
So we started the discussion around high maintenance/low productivity at our management training sessions. Company Culture - Does everyone have to fit in?
We realised we needed something even more clear that that, and so the hierarchy of employee engagement was the next step.
The idea is for the line manager and employee to discuss where they see themselves in terms of the model, and then open discussions around how to move up to the next level, and, ultimately, to the top of the triangle.
Part of this discussion is around parallel pathing, and that you don't have to be a line manager to be in a leadership role.
As a leadership group at +Accsys (Pty) Ltd, we are constantly discussing ways to create a fully engaged company of people. While there are obvious reasons around productivity and profitability, it is such a pleasure to be part of a company where everybody enjoys coming to work, and are all working to fulfil the same goals and objectives.
Some years ago, we developed our own appraisal system, designed around employee expectations being aligned with employer expectations. We had a very real concern, at the time, that we only found out what was causing unhappiness and disengagement at the exit interview.
Setting up a model that created an environment where the line manager and the employee could openly discuss the job requirements, the company requirements and the employee's attitude and expectations, has made a significant difference.
However, like all models, we have found that there are a number of factors that need to be part of this. First of all, the managers need to be trained to use it. We are still working on this one!
Secondly, there need to be very clear guidelines around what we mean about soft issues like attitude. In other words, how do you draw a distinction between coming to work, and doing what you are told to do, and being the kind of employee who is seen as making a positive difference?
So we started the discussion around high maintenance/low productivity at our management training sessions. Company Culture - Does everyone have to fit in?
We realised we needed something even more clear that that, and so the hierarchy of employee engagement was the next step.
The idea is for the line manager and employee to discuss where they see themselves in terms of the model, and then open discussions around how to move up to the next level, and, ultimately, to the top of the triangle.
Part of this discussion is around parallel pathing, and that you don't have to be a line manager to be in a leadership role.
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