Page 37 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

24B RE-ENGAGE

what is expected,” she thought, “but not get in so deeply with what
I’m doing that it will make it easier if the hammer drops again and I
lose my job.”
After a few months, her worries began to go away. She enjoyed her
new team members, many who had been with the company for years.
They seemed genuinely happy and committed to doing quality work.
Her new manager has been supportive and friendly. He even came
to her a few weeks into her tenure and said, “Anna, I know you’ve had
some bad breaks with other jobs. Although I can’t promise what the future
holds for any of us, I promise to keep you and the rest of our team informed
about what’s going on. Personally, I see a great future for you here, either
as a manager or, if you think it would be best for you, growing into a senior
financial analyst. It’s up to you how far you want to take this, and I’ll cer-
tainly do what I can to help you.”
Anna is now reconsidering her more reserved approach to the
workplace. On the recommendation of her boss, she attended a “lunch
and learn” hosted by human resources that offered various ways em-
ployees could better themselves, either in their current roles or for
future opportunities.
In an e-mail to her sister she wrote: “After a few bad apples I think I
may have finally found a home.”

: WANTED: ENGAGED EMPLOYEES . . . NOW MORE
THAN EVER

If you are a called to be a leader or manager of people, or have been
thrust into such a role, it is important that you not underestimate the
challenge you are facing. Even before the economic cataclysm of 2008,
the following factors had already combined to increase the complexity
and difficulty of leading and engaging employees:

: The corporate downsizings that began in the 1980s and con-
tinued through recent years had all but killed off the idea of
long-term loyalty.