Date: 2024-10-31 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00022755
WORKPLACE ISSUES
QUALITY OF WORK
Axios: Employee engagement had been on the rise over the past decade — but the pandemic stalled that steadily increasing trend.
QUALITY OF WORK
Axios: Employee engagement had been on the rise over the past decade — but the pandemic stalled that steadily increasing trend.
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
I wish I knew the answer, but something is dreadfully wrong with the current state of society in far too many places around the world ... including the United States.
Many years ago ... in 1960 when I first visited the United States as a young university student, I concluded that American children were 'spoiled rotten!'. They were given most everything they wanted and did not seem to appreciate anything they were given.
After my return to England, I wrote in an essay that the 'school bus' was a good image that reflected my impression of the spoiled chidren of America ... 'everything stops for the children!'
The problem is that the children of that era eventually became the adults of a later era ... and in many ways the cycle goes on and on and on and in many ways is getting worse and worse.
I was just young enough not to be required to do 'National Service' in the UK. Prior to January 1st. 1958 all 18 year old boys in the UK were required to sign up for military service. I was born in January of 1940 and was not required to do this. Instead I was able to go directly from school to university without spending 2 years being a soldier, sailor or airman in the military.
In many ways, I am sure that I would have been better prepared for life with 2 years experience in the military. I never gave it much thought at the time, nor indeed during the subsequent decades, but there seems to be a lot of evidence that people who have 'served' in tne military get some useful learning that people like me do not have. I would be supportive of a program of 'National Service' that every young person has to take part in whether it is in the military or in some other field that has focus on service of some sort.
Peter Burgess
Companies around the world lost $7.8 trillion in productivity in 2021 because of an unengaged or actively disengaged workforce, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report.
Employee engagement had been on the rise over the past decade — but the pandemic stalled that steadily increasing trend.
A big source of burnout: Unclear communication from managers.
- The big picture: For leaders to beat The Great Resignation, they have to set priorities that both serve their business and inspire and engage their teams — then communicate them clearly, frequently, and transparently.
- Communication is the hardest part of that equation — and many leaders face difficulty tapping the right tools and collecting the right feedback to improve this skill so critical to team engagement.
- Prioritize the employee experience. “Consumers are telling us that how brands treat employees directly impacts their brand loyalty, too,” Cydney said. “So prioritizing staff’s expectation — clear communication — will be critical to any organization’s success.
- Speak out on societal issues. About 60% of employees say they expect CEOs to speak publicly about social and political issues, according to Edelman’s 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. “The ability of leadership to lean in and create dialog has been paramount whether it is the last 2-3 years or the last 10,” Cydney added.
- Be authentic and vulnerable. “Everyone has a different voice, and they should,” Doug said. “We have employees where English is not their first language… That shouldn't be a barrier.” Just get your message out authentically.
- Develop trainings to boost confidence. “Some of our best clients have a ‘milestone school’ for when people ascend into a people manager role, and communicating is part of the job,” Cydney said. “It's part of effective team building.”
Go deeper: See how Edelman and Briq put comms at the heart of their leadership strategies — and used Axios HQ to do it.
Fortune 100 companies and startups alike trust Axios HQ. See a free demo and learn how we help leaders communicate their purpose effectively.