Page 71 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

42 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

is engaged?” To really understand engagement in the workplace,
I wanted to know the specific behaviors that characterized
engaged employees. Such data is critical for developing a valid
assessment instrument to measure engagement and interven-
tions to increase it. As you might imagine, participants provided
many different answers to the question. The following list con-
tains the ten most frequent responses to the question of how
you know an employee is engaged:

1. Brings new ideas to work
2. Is passionate and enthusiastic about work
3. Takes initiative
4. Actively seeks to improve self, others, and business
5. Consistently exceeds goals and expectations
6. Is curious and interested; asks questions
7. Encourages and supports team members
8. Is optimistic and positive; smiles
9. Overcomes obstacles and stays focused on tasks; is
persistent
10. Is committed to the organization

In my opinion, the most complete response did not make our
top-ten list: “They act as though they have ownership in the
business.” This statement reflects perfectly the attitude of
highly engaged employees. Like the small business owner,
such workers do whatever needs to be done, regardless of their
job title. They come in early, leave late, and take work home if
needed. They leave you e-mails and voice mails after work hours
that begin, “I was just thinking . . .” They worry about the little
things. If they see a piece of trash lying on the floor they pick
it up—not because someone is watching but because they take
great pride in their workplace. If there is a problem, they handle
it; they don’t ignore it or pass it down the line. They think about