Meaning
Two types of meaning contribute to being engaged:
Inherent Meaning, the work itself produces the meaning that the individual feels. Like a teacher helping illiterate children to read or a heart surgeon saving lives.
Associated Meaning, is not found in the work but what the work enables you to do away from the work environment.
Beware of satisfaction factors! Perks such as espresso machines, ping pong tables, and Taco Tuesdays are fun but can lead to temporary happiness and engagement.
Autonomy
Autonomy is not about leaving people alone. At the same time, too much supervision can wreck productivity. In autonomous organizations, it’s what gets done that matters, with less concern for how it gets done.
BOUNDARIES + FREEDOM + ACCOUNTABILITY = AUTONOMY
Hire good people, give them what they need to do their jobs well, and get out of their way. Trust your people. Without trust, autonomy is impossible. You will have a hard time engaging people at your company.
Growth
We become bored, distracted, and disengaged when we feel that our work is rote, routine, and repetitive. People crave work experiences that challenge their minds and their skills, that are intellectually stimulating, and that offer them a chance to rise to the occasion and excel in high-stress situations.
Growth does not necessarily equal promotion.
Growth goes beyond a higher position or a better parking space. It’s the desire for accomplishment, mastering new skills, reaching goals, and the need for achievement.
Impact
How do you cultivate impact?
- Measurement: You can’t know your impact if you don’t have any way of measuring it.
- Proximity: Make it easy for everyone to see, feel, and experience the results of what they do every day.
- Context: Shape your story in a way that helps people see the value of what they’re doing.
- Value: Find a way to reward and recognize impact at the individual, team, and organizational level.
Connection
Connection is about “we” rather than “I” or “they.” Lack of connection leads to isolation and alienation.
Trust is the currency of connection.
It’s the building block of culture, because an effective culture is one that evokes thoughts like, “I can trust this company to align with my tastes and interests and to represent me, and what I care about, to the larger world.”
If you follow these five keys, you will have a much better shot at engaging people at your organization.
