4: Strategies for Measuring Job Performance and Engagement
(EN: I'm not sure what to make of this chapter - the introduction is vague and effuse, and doesn't seem to have to do with the topic of measuring performance and engagement. Moreover as I peruse the content, it seems to be random observations on various topics. I'll take what notes I can, but the structure is extremely loose and I don't think it's going to be very focused.)
- One study correlates financial performance of firms with their employee focus on customer satisfaction. That is, the employees are coached to focus on the ends (the customer's satisfaction) rather than the means (specific tasks and responsibilities). This same focus is believed to correlate to employee engagement.
- A similar study suggests that employees with highly engaged employees experienced greater increases in operating income and earnings-per-share growth than companies with low engagement.
- An effective method of getting engagement goals prioritized and funded is to align them to business objectives. Improved retention, increased performance, better customer satisfaction, and a number of financial objectives can be accomplished by improving engagement.
- Ideally, business will recognize the value of having a people-focused culture that stresses things such as collaboration and mutual respect among co-workers. This is often considered in terms of workplace diversity or generational differences. As with business objectives, culture objectives often align well with engagement objectives.
- Engagement can also be built into appraisals of leadership effectiveness. It is generally recognized that good leaders are not merely command-and-control focused, but empower and support their subordinates. This also dovetails neatly with engagement objectives.
- The concept of a "learning organization" is also a popular fad in the business world - and again, goals for improvement in this area often correlate well with engagement objectives. Learning and growth are significant factors in employee engagement, both in terms of empowerment and morale.
Performance Appraisal
The purpose of performance evaluation has evolved to consider the employee's broader contribution to organizational goals, development of skills and relationships, and other metrics beyond basic task performance. And while some theorists disapprove of the performance-review process and consider it to be divisive and causing discord between management and employees, it remains the only manner by which many firms provide feedback and encourage development.
In terms of engagement, the performance review is an opportunity to orient the employee to a broader perspective, recognizing the relationship between his role and the organization and his personal contribution to organizational goals. It also permits the adjustment of goals and the formal planning of development efforts to improve performance and increase engagement in the organization.
In addition to assessing skills, reviews should consider key attitudes that are associated to success or failure, seeking to improve behavior and interpersonal skills. This is particularly important for the lowest tiers of employees, who are often overlooked. An example is given of a retail chain that adopted a "people strategy" to engage clerks and other low-level employees, which resulted in improved morale, decreased attrition, and other positive results.
Engaging Disengaged Employees
Very often disengaged employees are simply "written off" - which only exacerbates the problems of low performance and attrition. The author speaks of a work-engagement profile (Tymon) that can be used to measure employee engagement and provides managers with very specific and actionable steps to address low engagement in specific areas.
(EN: The author doesn't have much to say, but I looked into it and found it to be another survey, which asks attitudinal questions. It is based on the premise that employees seek to have a sense of choice, competence, meaningfulness, and progress and provides specific tips for improvement in each of these areas.)
The author performed a survey of CEOs in Canada, to ask what they do to engage their employees and improve performance. Some random suggestiosn were:
- Link pay to performance
- Translate organizational initiatives to employees roles
- Encourage mentoring and coaching within the organization
- Permit open communication about issues
- Have roundtables and other meetings in which employees have an opportunity to speak
- Interview the disengaged employees in order to identify the cause of discontent
- Monitor employee engagement individually every three months
Engagement Versus Workaholism
An important distinction muse be made between engagement and workaholism. To the employer interested in short-term financial results, one seems as good as another. But for employers concerned with sustainability of performance, workaholism is unacceptable.
Defined, workaholsm is an unreasonably high level of attention to work-related activities and thoughts, particularly when they do not derive from the necessities of their role. Workaholism can be seen in overly obsessive behavior: aggrandizing trivial things, spending inordinate amounts of time at the office, and in work "crowding out" their personal lives. This leads to exhaustion and eventually burnout.
Six key traits of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are listed by name only: obstinacy, orderliness, parsimony, perseverance, rigidity, and narcissism.
He also mentions some of the dysfunctional reasons that people become obsessed with work: a desire to gain extrinsic rewards, self-esteem tied to work performance, lack of a personal life, and competitiveness with other employees.
Another sign is that workaholics prefer to "work hard rather than smart" so they tend to focus on unproductive or inefficient rituals. Their goal is conformance to policy and procedure, rather than on the achievement of goals and results.
It's also noted that because workaholics self-esteem is often tied to their work performance, many of them have a martyr complex and will deny that they have a disorder. They will often report high satisfaction with their work, but the detriment to their psychological, social, and even physical health will become evident over time. It may take external monitoring and control, even to the point of requiring psychological counseling, to bring their behavior back into balance.