Employee engagement is something that's been studied for years, with the preeminent source for this research being Gallup.
I've been a practitioner in the field of organizational development for nearly two decades now and from my perspective, we still aren't talking enough about it.
Especially in small towns, employee engagement isn't a topic that's considered high-priority; who has time to think about this when we actually have businesses to run (and oftentimes, as the owners, we're actively working "in" the business)?
Since returning to my hometown over fifteen years ago, I have seen that these conversations which are typically found in C-suites, are just as needed on Main Streets.
After all, at its core, employee engagement is simply about doing right by the people who choose to work for us. It's about caring about their whole being, not simply that they fill a role in our business.
As I've worked with companies discussing the necessary investment in the development of their people, I've often been met with the fear of "What happens if we spend all this money (PS—it doesn't have to cost a ton of money, necessarily) to develop this person and they leave?"
I always respond by saying, "What if you don't invest in them, and they stay?"
Gallup recently issued a new workforce challenge in an article they're calling "The Great Detachment". Differing from "The Great Resignation" in 2020 when a significant swath of the workforce opted out of work, this presents a different, and in my mind, scarier proposition: people are unhappy and they're not planning to do anything about it.
The long-term impacts of this challenge, if unaddressed, have huge consequences for the workforce, in general, but could be catastrophic for small towns.
Small locally-owned businesses are the heart and soul of a small town.
When the people who own and work in them are happy, positive, well-supported, and generally, well-adjusted humans (that's broad as hell, I know, so forgive the simple words to explain a big, broad thing) the ripple effect in a small town is both deep and wide.
Think about it.
Who we are as people follows us everywhere.
The upbeat, positive front-desk clerk at the convenience store takes that attitude with her to her bowling league on Wednesday nights, her church pew on Sundays, and her son's soccer tournament in the neighboring town on Saturdays.
Wherever we go, there we are.
Now, imagine instead, that same front desk clerk being cranky, annoyed, and generally kind of offputting to customers and fellow employees.
That attitude also goes with them.
To be sure, people show up differently across environments, that's a given, but I think it's shortsighted to discount the value of the human element in both business success and community growth.
Hopefully, this thought exercise elicits a clear rationale to consider the people who work and do life with us.
But, if we see this lack of engagement in our friends, coworkers, employees or neighbors, what can we even do about it?
Well, luckily enough, there are ways for business leaders (and by extension, community leaders) to prioritize human development in their respective circles.
I'd argue the first step is simply acknowledging that this matters. If my previous example of the convenience store clerk didn't strike you, I urge you to think of a real example in your life when you've been met with the stark difference in experience created by the first person versus the second.
How we're treated by a positive, generally upbeat human versus a negative, snarky, and generally cranky one matters.
It matters how we treat people.
While we can't change people, we can change the way we lead them.
My favorite part about this is that in small businesses, you can impact this. It's far easier to steer the ship of a small locally-owned business than it is in a Fortune 500 company with 3,000 employees.
The Gallup article linked above offers two primary areas to focus on to address this and because I know how these things play out in small towns is a little different, I'd like to share my perspective on how to "right-size" them for small towns.
Solution No. 1: Reset Expectations and Priorities
Gallup further explained this advice by offering the following:
Expectations become clear to employees when they are:
collaboratively set and prioritized with employees
aligned with what the team aims to achieve
regularly discussed
considered alongside workload and wellbeing
One of the biggest mistakes I think we make regarding this in small businesses is that we tell ourselves that we see them every day, and work alongside them nonstop, thereby making this idea of "collaboration" and ensuring expectations/priorities are "regularly discussed" entirely silly.
I've heard many small business leaders say, "Yeah, I know my people. There's no need to complicate this."
I'm not one to suggest doing something just for the sake of having more to do—I mean, why would I actually endorse insanity?—but I do believe this is a cop-out and just because we're working alongside people every day doesn't mean that we've properly or explicitly articulated what a "win" looks like in our business.
As crazy as it might sound, we need to become vigilant about accurately describing the expectations of the job. Things like "cleaning" or "customer service" might feel like they are obvious and almost "duh" in nature; yet, I promise you, if you fail to articulate what a job-well-done looks like to you in your business, the areas of gray will create wide variances in results. Unaddressed, these variances become pain points for your staff, you, and potentially, your customers.
Prioritize sitting down with your employees and checking in with them; don't simply rely on the standard drive-bys that happen day-to-day. I know this is easier said than done. I'm saying it anyway.
As Brené Brown once said, "Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind."
Tell your folks exactly what you need/expect from them. It can make a huge difference for you both.
Solution No. 2: Connect Individual Contributions to Mission and Purpose
The best leaders and managers:
clarify and model the mission and values of the organization
help employees see how they contribute to something bigger
ask employees to share stories about what makes them proud of their work
ensure the employee experience is delivering on the company’s mission and values
For small, locally-owned businesses, this might seem insane to suggest. Again, I'm going to remind you: you're employing humans. Humans need a bigger purpose than the daily tasks of their job. They matter. Treat them like they do.
There's no business too small to have clearly defined values and a mission/vision for their business.
Small businesses have a beautiful opportunity to set themselves apart from their larger counterparts because the leadership ladder is flat and wide. You don't have to fight layers of bullshit and bureaucracy to make changes: you can decide to change something today, and just do it. How amazing.
If you don't have values or a clear, compelling mission/vision for your small business, I strongly encourage you take the time to create them.
Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z, is made up of people born after 1996, according to the Pew Research Center. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Gen Z will make up about 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030.
Gen Z has characteristics to celebrate and plenty of challenges, just like every generation that came before and will come after.
One of the things they look for in a career is meaning and purpose. Rather than being frustrated and declaring that they're all entitled and don't want to work, I sincerely urge you to do a bit of reflection.
Is it true that "no one wants to work anymore" or do you just suck to work for?
I mentioned this in a DistruptHR talk about love in the workplace and why we need it today more than ever. You can view it HERE, if you're interested.
This is about who we are as leaders. We make all kinds of investments in other ways in our businesses. When was the last time you invested in your growth as a leader?
I know many gracious, people-centered leaders who still have challenges hiring certain positions. I'd never suggest this is a magic bullet.
I will suggest (and strongly) that if you don't have a meaningful, compelling set of mission/vision/values, you're missing out on a key lever.
It's all about people.
Fulfilled, engaged employees create great experiences for customers.
It's never mattered more.
The idea of knowing there's a huge swath of our current workforce who are actively disengaged with no plans to go anywhere is actually terrifying to me.
If you're struggling to get or keep people, I hope you'll consider some of these ideas. When it comes to humans, there never is a magic bullet.
People are messy, complicated, and tricky.
But the businesses that prioritize the human experience for their employees and their customers always come out ahead.
Anything you can do to meet people where they're at is time and money well-invested.
Big love,
Rebecca
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