Page 70 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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Employee Engagement

failures, time pressures, and so on. In contrast, employees with
low levels of engagement will tend to appear motivated only
under favorable conditions or when attempting to reach tangi-
ble, short-term goals that will yield personal reward. Motivated
employees want to get through the work as quickly as possible to
get to their carrots—regardless of what may be going on around
them. In contrast, engaged employees keep their eyes on the
goal but also use their peripheral vision to look for opportunities
that may contribute further to accomplishing the mission of the
organization. To reiterate, employees who are motivated but not
engaged will work hard when there is something in it for them.
Engaged employees work hard for the sake of the organization
and because it gives them a feeling of fulfillment.

How Can I Tell the Difference Between a
Motivated Employee and an Engaged Employee?
Imagine observing a team of employees frantically working to
meet a deadline. If they meet the deadline, everyone receives a
bonus. As you watch, everyone appears highly motivated—they
are working hard to get to the carrot. Suddenly, there’s an equip-
ment failure that nearly ensures their inability to accomplish the
goal. Now you have two groups of employees—those who say, “Oh
well, we tried” and those who say, “What is it that we can still
get accomplished?” The first group was motivated; the second
group was engaged. Engaged employees are hardy; motivated
employees are opportunistic. While motivation can wax and
wane, engagement leads to a consistent level of performance.

The Profile of an Engaged Employee
While doing research on employee engagement, I surveyed indi-
viduals from more than one hundred organizations worldwide.
Among the questions asked was: “How do you know if someone