“Engaged” as if it means “inwardly committed to the good of the business”.

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Employees who are highly engaged are committed to their work and see themselves as helping “build a cathedral.” Disengaged employees have essentially checked out—they are merely “laying bricks” for a paycheck, not building a cathedral.  According to the Gallup report of 2013, only about 30% of the American workforce was “engaged”, and international data showed essentially the same results. In 2019, Gallup found that engagement had risen somewhat (about 2%) since 2013. (Both reports are posted in Module 7.) With this in mind, address these questions:

 

For purposes of this assignment, treat “engaged” as if it means “inwardly committed to the good of the business”. To solve the problem that you characterized in EEs 1 and 2, which employees (or levels within the organization) will you need to “engage” in order to fix that problem?
Would they be organized into teams? Would the teams be cross-functional?
Using Lewin’s 3-Stage Model, how would you engage the team (or teams) to get their commitment to the development and implementation of a solution to the problem? (See Lessons 7 and 8.)
Refer to Drucker, Management, pp. 258-268, which you read as part of TD #2. How would you use Drucker’s Management by Objectives, combined with Lewin’s 3-Stage Model, to secure the commitment of all employees (including non-management employees) to the solution your team has proposed? (See Lesson 9 lecture.)

 

Sample Solution

Based on the scenario of disengaged employees who are “laying bricks” rather than “building a cathedral,” let’s delve into strategies to cultivate engagement and commitment to problem-solving.

Engaging the Right People:

The specific employees or organizational levels to engage depend on the identified problem in Exercises 1 and 2 (not provided). However, some general principles apply:

  • Problem Ownership: Engage employees closest to the problem who can directly contribute solutions.
  • Cross-Functional Teams: Consider forming cross-functional teams comprised of individuals from different departments with diverse perspectives. This fosters collaboration and a holistic approach.

Lewin’s 3-Stage Model for Team Engagement:

  1. Unfreeze:

    • Create a sense of urgency: Clearly communicate the problem’s impact on the organization’s goals and success.
    • Identify dissatisfiers: Conduct surveys or focus groups to understand why employees feel disengaged.

  2. Change:

    • Develop a shared vision: Collaboratively create a vision for improvement, emphasizing how engaged employees can contribute to the “cathedral.”
    • Empower teams: Provide necessary resources and decision-making authority to teams tasked with developing solutions.

  3. Refreeze:

    • Reinforce positive behaviors: Acknowledge and celebrate team progress and successes.
    • Integrate solutions: Implement the developed solutions and track their effectiveness, making adjustments as needed.

Drucker’s Management by Objectives (MBO) for Employee Commitment:

  1. Set SMART Goals: Collaborate with teams to establish Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals aligned with the proposed solution.
  2. Performance Agreements: Develop individual performance agreements that outline each employee’s role in achieving the team’s objectives.
  3. Regular Feedback and Reviews: Conduct regular performance reviews with employees, providing feedback on progress towards individual and team goals. This fosters a sense of ownership and accountability.

Combining Lewin’s Model and MBO:

By integrating Lewin’s model with Drucker’s MBO, we can create a comprehensive approach to employee engagement:

  • Unfreezing creates the need for change, which aligns with setting SMART goals.
  • During Change, teams develop solutions that translate into individual performance agreements.
  • Refreezing emphasizes tracking progress towards objectives, which serves as the basis for regular performance reviews.

This combined approach ensures that employees at all levels understand how their individual contributions align with the team’s goal and ultimately build the “cathedral” – the success of the organization.

Additional Considerations:

  • Communication: Transparent and consistent communication throughout the process is crucial for employee buy-in.
  • Recognition and Rewards: Recognizing and rewarding desired behaviors reinforces engagement and motivates continued effort.
  • Leadership: Leaders play a vital role in fostering a culture of engagement. They should be visible, approachable, and actively champion employee participation.

By implementing these strategies, we can move disengaged employees from “laying bricks” to actively “building the cathedral,” leading to a more engaged and productive workforce.

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