Never Take Employee Engagement for Granted

Lana J. Chandler
July 15, 2010 | COMMENTS

“Engagement is a fragile condition that must be constantly nurtured and supported,” states Bruce Fern, chief engagement officer for Performance Connections International, Inc. in Bedford, New York. “One off-hand comment by the branch manager can erode engagement.”

Example: The branch manager is overheard talking to her regional manager and she says, “Well, I'm not surprised we're at the bottom of the comparative branch rankings. Look at the staff I have to work with.” A branch that might have been engaged yesterday can become instantly disengaged!

Constantly Monitor Engagement

Periodically checking whether your team is engaged is all part of “checking your team's health.” “Because engagement is fragile, you must constantly monitor it, like a diabetic monitoring his blood sugar levels. Never take it for granted,” advises Fern.

How can you tell whether your team is engaged? Fern cites these indicators:

• Discretionary effort given happily, not begrudgingly
• Positive relationships with fellow employees and branch clients
• Offer ideas for improvement
• Interested in overall branch performance, not just their own performance
• Go the extra mile for clients and peers

This story appeared in Branch Manager's Letter at www.branchmanagersletter.com and is reprinted with permission. Contact publisher Lana J. Chandler at 304-343-0206 or Lana@BranchManagersLetter.com.