Business Bites: Enjoyment in work

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word: excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it,” Pearl S. Buck

We all strive for a business where we have:
• Increased productivity
• Low employee turnover
• Improved customer satisfaction

It could be suggested that the above are impossible for any business without a fully engaged workforce. Enjoyment in work can come as an association of engagement in work. Engagement in work can be as a result of many different factors.

Managers should eliminate the potential for boredom at work

Model for employee engagement

The David Zinger Model on Employee Engagement considers all important aspects that could impact the involvement, engagement and dedication of employees.

Achieve results: Achieving the desired results, i.e. higher levels of employee engagement is the ultimate aim of the Zinger model; however, the process is well supported by various other steps. The managers need to work on self as well as the employees of the company through well-crafted strategies.

Craft strategies: Crafting appropriate strategies to achieve higher levels of employee engagement is the first and foremost task. It involves a lot of planning and considerations of employee, as well as organisational, requirements.

Enliven roles: Employees will love their work when it seems interesting to them. Managers should work on redefining their tasks and responsibilities in a manner that eliminates the element of boredom from their job to keep them interested in their work.

Excel at work: Motivating employees to perform work certainly pays off. An organisation must have a system for recognising and rewarding employees for their efforts so that they remain stimulated to perform better and better.

Get connected: Managers must remain connected to their teams so that they can share their problems and ask for advice to perform their tasks. Communication is the backbone of every managerial process.

Be authentic: Being real and genuine is what is expected from a leader. Top management, HR people as well as immediate managers should show genuine concern towards the problems of employees and make dedicate efforts to help them get rid of it.

Live recognition: Recognising the efforts of employees in front of everyone not only boosts their moral but also encourages them to stay with the organisation and always perform their best.

Fully engage: The desired results can be achieved in the fastest possible way only if employees are fully engaged. A comprehensive study about what actually engages or disengages employees must be conducted. Designing and implementing appropriate strategies is the next step.

Identify with organisation: Employees stay in organisations for a long time if they feel connected to their organisation. Management should understand that they are their most important assets without which nothing can be achieved.

Serve customers: Only engaged employees can serve their customers in the best possible manner. Maintain a tradition and culture to offer the best services to the customers. Making employees aware of this tradition of the organisation from time to time can help a great deal.

Develop personally: Organisations should not only focus on attaining their goal but also on the overall development of an employee. Employees who grow with the organisation are deeply connected to their workplace and always ready to walk that extra mile to achieve success for it.

Attain happiness: Happy and satisfied employees are the most important assets of an organisation. The secret behind the success of highly productive businesses is their happy employees.

Ensuring high team performance

Gallup has identified 12 elements of employee engagement that predict high team performance.

Some of the 12 elements might seem simple. But Gallup’s research has found that only a small percentage of employees strongly agree their employer or manager delivers on them.
1. I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinion seems to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my organisation makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the past six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
12. In the last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

Managers can take charge of engagement by asking and evaluating their employees’ responses to these 12 survey questions. This will help them to create a framework for their interactions with employees through casual conversations, meeting agendas, performance evaluations and team goal setting.

One of the most important things to remember is that employee engagement should be worked at constantly and incrementally – and not just before you do a survey.