Training Industry Magazine - Leadership 2015 Special Edition - 18

FIVE WAYS TO

REBOOT
ENGAGEMENT

WHEN YOUR ORGANIZATION
BECOMES UNPLUGGED
BY TOM ROTH

Oh, the time and effort that goes into the annual trek through the
halls and electronic corridors of organizations to deliver surveys
that seek to reveal the degree of engagement among employees.
We then gather, compile, analyze and chart responses, and present
the results on colorful pie charts to an awaiting leadership team.

* One scenario is when change with an experience of loss occurs
due to sudden upheaval like a merger or layoffs.

Regardless of how much time and effort is put into such a coordinated
initiative, year after year, results reveal a decline in scores. What was
once positive perception and high energy expenditure has now
seemingly migrated to negative, or at best, neutral perception and
lower energy that employees carry into their jobs every day.

Both scenarios underscore the impact change can have on the
human spirit, consequently leading to disengagement. So, what do
employees do about it? It's their energy. It's their choice.

Before we look at reboot strategies, let's trace back the notion of
engagement and put it into context of what, in today's world of
work, dissipates full engagement.

THE NOTION OF ENGAGEMENT: PERCEPTION AND ENERGY
Engagement is a tricky term to codify because while "you know
it when you see it," it shows up in many ways, including attitude,
hustle, spirit, teamwork, commitment, pride and contributions.
The best way to put tangibles around engagement is to look at the
interplay of two intangible dynamics: perception and energy.
Whether it's a simple request to engage in a task like preparing a
presentation or a broad change initiative such as an acquisition
or reducing head count, employees consciously or unconsciously
decide their level of engagement. This decision is based on the
perception they have to change or the request being made of them,
and how much energy or effort they choose to put into that request.

WHAT LOOSENS THE PLUG ON POSITIVE PERCEPTION AND
HIGH ENERGY?
At the risk of what might sound like oversimplifying the whir of
today's economy and the surge of change that's not likely letting
up, here are two scenarios that contribute to an organization
becoming unplugged from its employees, who are the key source
of discretionary energy.
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* The second scenario happens when ongoing change is afoot. While
it may not lead to an experience of loss, change is discontinuous
and results in change fatigue.

THE CHOICE MODEL
The primary choices individuals make regarding how they intend to
use their energy is to be proactive, reactive or inactive. Within these
broad categories are differences based on three levels of perception
and three levels of energy expended. (See Figure 1.)
Proactive
When employees choose to expend energy in a positive way,
they are described as "proactive." The varying degrees of how that
appears can be described as willful compliance, enrolled and fully
committed.
Reactive
Employees who choose to use their energy to oppose or argue
against change are described as "reactive." There are three varying
degrees: grudging compliance, resisting and motivated to get even.
Inactive
The choice to be "inactive" is a form of disengagement. It occurs
when an employee chooses to withhold energy or to be in a period
of waiting. The three degrees of inactivity are pseudo compliance,
waiting and seeing, and disengagement.
Let's further explore the three degrees of inactivity because our
research shows that up to 80 percent of employees reside in this
inactive space. It's key to understanding where the energy might
be draining out.
Training Industry Magazine - Leadership 2015 Special Edition

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