engage for success - russell grossman @ iabc canberra
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Russell Grossman DipPR(CAM), ABC, FCIM, FRSA, MCIPR
Director of Communications,
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) [email protected]
Engagement – Practical Tools For Tough Times
Russell Grossman ABC, FCIPR , FCIM, FRSA,
Director of Communications, UK Dept for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Director, Engage For Success Incoming International Chair, IABC
[email protected] ###@engage4success
Russell Grossman
2008 : Dept for Business, UK Government - Director of Communications
2006 : HM Revenue & Customs - Head of Internal & Change Communications
1999 : BBC - Head of Internal Communications
1997 : Royal Mail - London Director of Communications
1996 : Nichols Associates - Senior Consultant
1994 : Jubilee Line Extension - Public Relations Manager
1993 : Riverbus - Marketing Manager
1988 : London Docklands Development Corp - Head of Information 1986 : London Docklands Development Corp Exec Asst to Development Director
1983 : Greater London Council Press Officer
Context for why engagement matters
Some less than
engaged staff….
In 2008 the UK Government commissioned David MacLeod to find out if there was a link from engagement to growth via productivity
Our story begins….
After…
• 8 months • 30 consultation events • 5 regional events • 60+ case studies • 255 submissions and reports • 300 on-line responses to call for evidence • 50 definitions of engagement
.......MacLeod concluded there was a strong link
The MacLeod Report on Employee Engagement
This report is at http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file52215.pdf
Active Disengagement In Action
Engaged Employees = Top Company MacLeod found engaged companies gave:
1. better financial performance 2. better outcomes 3. higher levels of innovation 4. more employees advocating their organisation 5. lower rates of absenteeism 6. employee well-being 7. Critical for getting through the recession
Does Employee Engagement Matter?
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•For the individual
– higher levels of wellbeing – a more satisfying workplace
•For the organisation
– better productivity and financial performance – higher levels of innovation and advocacy
•For UK plc – recession, growth, global challenge – world of work changing: death of deference, greater expectations – competitive advantage
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Engage for Success : Provenance
• Taskforce Launched By UK Prime Minister in March 2011 • HRDs and Comms Directors from UK’s top organisations
– To raise the profile of the topic - To shine a light on good practice - Members from across the economy
- public, private and third sector, - manufacturing, retail, finance and services, - large and small organisations and trade unions
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“Engage for Success believes that employee engagement is about releasing more of the capability and potential of people at work……and creating the conditions to unleash the full potential of people at work.”
‘Engage For Success’
Engage for Success : >60 Companies, >2000 Active Practitioners OVER TWO MILLION WORKERS REPRESENTED
Source : Engage For Success, UK
Here’s a short film
EMPLOYEES WANT TO BE ENGAGED
•
www.engageforsuccess.org
“Employee engagement is about how we create the conditions in which employees offer more of their capability and potential” – David Macleod
GURU SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Future of engagement
Leadership and engagement
Engaged thinking
Communicate for Success
Authentic employee engagement
Engagement in SMEs
Linking EE to other metrics
EE & passenger transport
CSR and EE EE measurement and analysis
sub groups and SIG’s
Barriers Investors Cross-cultures Third sector engagement
Well-being
Innovation Organisational integrity
Making the internal business case
Social media and EE
Sub Groups
WHO WE ARE Engage for Success : Evidence
•94 per cent of the world’s most admired companies believe their efforts to engage their employees have created a competitive advantage (Hay).
•64% of people said they have more to offer in skills and talent than they are currently
demonstrating or being asked to demonstrate at work. (Populus survey conducted in the UK in October 2012)
•Companies with high and sustainable engagement levels had an average one year
operating margin that was close to three times higher than those with lower engagement (Towers Watson, 2012)
•85% of the world’s most admired companies believe that efforts to engage employees has
reduced employee performance problems (Hay 2010).
•70 per cent of the more engaged have a good understanding of customer needs as against only 17 per cent of the disengaged (PwC).
•Our evidence is supported by academic research, and by research houses such as Towers
Watson, Kenexa, Hay, Aon Hewitt and Gallup. It also comes from case studies compiled by many leading companies and organisations.
WHO WE ARE Engage for Success : Evidence
• Most countries have an employee engagement deficit.
• In the UK, only around a third of workers say they are engaged, placing the UK ninth in engagement levels among the world’s twelfth largest
economies.
• Australia is one better – eighth - on the same scale
• The loss in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) performance and productivity this waste represents in the UK : c£26 billion ($AUD48bn) per
year.
Source : Kenexa 2012 : THE MANY CONTEXTS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT A 2012/2013 KENEXA® WORKTRENDS™ Median margin of error across countries is +/- 3.
Employee Engagement By Country : 2012
1: Strategic Narrative
Strong, visible, empowering leadership provides a strong strategic narrative about the organisation, where it’s come from and where it’s going.
This gives a line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision. The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly.
The past You are here The future
Four Key Enablers THE FOUR KEY ENABLERS : 1. STRATEGIC NARRATIVE
1: Strategic Narrative Four Key Enablers THE FOUR KEY ENABLERS : 1. STRATEGIC NARRATIVE
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1: Strategic Narrative Four Key Enablers
Line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision. The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly.
Typical story framework: - the six questions • Why are we here, what is our role in the world? • What are our strengths, achievements, challenges? • What should the future look like? • Whose needs are we satisfying (customer / client / citizen)? • How will we get there – what values do we want to apply? • What is our personality?
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1: Strategic Narrative Four Key Enablers
BIS is going through this exercise at the moment with “WHY?” consultants
Line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision. The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly.
2: Having Engaging Managers
They……
focus their people, offer scope and enable
the job to get done
treat their people as individuals
coach and stretch their people
Four Key Enablers 2: Having Engaging Managers Four Key Enablers
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2: Having Engaging Managers
Reasons to not:
Four Key Enablers
“Spare me another **** HR/comms initiative” “Don’t you know there’s a recession on?” “I’ve not got time for the soft and fluffy stuff” Plus Command and control Micro-managing Takes time, application, consistency and effort
And beware…… “We did the survey so we’ve done the engagement”
Communication in organisations, especially in changing times, is a
behaviour of leadership and a transfer of energy
Are we helping leaders transfer energy? Is that energy positive?
How does it feel – for them and for you?
2: Having Engaging Managers Four Key Enablers
It’s not about spewing lots of corporate messages to staff
LEVEL 1 – TRANSACTIONAL
Compartmentalised Thinking
NB:
CIPD: 75% of Employee Engagement focused as above Reactive engagement. About discretionary effort
Territory, Market Sector Strategy
STRATEGY FOR: IT; ESTATES; CAPITAL
ETC
EMPLOYEE / HR STRATEGY Do survey & act on it, eg
leadership communications, ‘feel proud’ etc
Two Levels of engagement
“We act on employee feedback through survey”
2: Having Engaging Managers Four Key Enablers
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“ONE PAGE”: Market Sectors, CA, Country, Positioning Strategy AND
Values/Behaviours to deliver it WE TRACK PROGRESS OF
STRATEGY
NB:
CIPD: 25% of Employee Engagement focused as above About proactive engagement
WE MEASURE: Concerns, commitment, feedback
People give continual
VOICE
People help shape
strategy
People at heart of delivery and at
heart of strategy
TWO-WAY
LEVEL 2 – TRANSFORMATIONAL “It’s a way of running a top company”
Two Levels
A belief that people are the solution, not the problem
2: Having Engaging Managers Four Key Enablers
Transactional or transformational? TRANSACTIONAL….OR TRANSFORMATIONAL?
Transactional engagement • A set of activities or targets • Usually focussed around a survey
Transformational engagement • Employees integral to developing and delivering the business strategy • Requires deep belief in the power of people to contribute
• new and creative products/services • Outstanding customer/client service and efficiency • A belief that our people are the solution, not the problem
This means that to be effective you often have to be….. • the grit in the oyster…
• without being the pin in the balloon…
• and the jester at the court of King Lear
2: Having Engaging Managers Four Key Enablers
Are you in and visible? Or are you invisible?
How does the management team feel about communications before you arrive in their room?
“anyone can do
this, who is this time-
waster?”
“I’m willing to listen and
be persuaded”
“the guy talks
regularly to me
about this still so I’ll go with it”
“all good ideas, but
actually my experience
differs”
“Whatever. Can we get on with the P&L risks
discussion please”
“does she really get
our business?”
You also need….. And you need to have….
Judgement, Resilience, Courage, Intuition, Leadership, Tenacity, Good Grace And, very often, a sense of humour
1. Get yourself in the right places at the right times 2. Lead, don’t follow, don’t just stay where you’re put 3. Actively advocate the communications practice 4. Think creative, be optimistic, push boundaries 5. Don’t struggle alone, work with others 6. Know how to say no nicely – be ‘sympathetically repulsive’ 7. Join a professional org : eg IABC!! 8. Strive for the best team you can get, avoid compromises 9. Use LinkedIn effectively 10. Get enough sleep (you cannot delegate this one) 11. Know your value and have the evidence to defend it
Always do the reality check
try not to look like this….
….all the time (or at least when anyone
else is looking)
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3: Employee Voice
There is employee voice throughout the organisation, for reinforcing and challenging views; between functions & externally; employees are really seen
as your key asset – not the problem.
This voice is informed. Views sought early / followed up; explanations given if ideas not adopted. Collective voice matters – TUs etc part of the architecture
Four Key Enablers THE FOUR KEY ENABLERS : 3. EMPLOYEE VOICE
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3: Employee Voice
• Employees’ views are sought out; they are listened to and see that their opinions count and make a difference.
• They speak out and challenge where appropriate • A strong sense of listening and responsiveness permeates the
organisation, enabled by effective communication. • This voice is an informed one –not just a ‘tea and toilets conversation • Views are sought early and followed up; explanations are given if
ideas/views not adopted. • Trade unions/staff representatives are part of the engagement
architecture – collective voice matters
This voice is informed. Views sought early / followed up; explanations given if ideas not adopted. Collective voice matters – TUs etc part of the architecture
In practice
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3: Employee Voice
• if it is heard • If it is informed • If it is proactive • If it is adult to adult • If it is seen to make a difference • If it influences the future - change
SURVEYS only scratch the surface of voice. They tell you (depending on the questions) WHAT people may be thinking. THEY DON’T TELL YOU WHY
Voice is only effective:
BUT NB!!!
Credibility “Management keeps me informed about important issues and changes”.
“I believe management would lay people off only as a last resort”. Respect
“I am offered training or development to further myself professionally”. “Management shows appreciation for good work and extra effort”.
Fairness ”Everyone has an opportunity to get special recognition”.
“Promotions go to those who best deserve them”. Pride
“I’m proud to tell others I work here”. “People look forward to coming to work here”.
Camaraderie ”People care about each other here”.
“This is a friendly place to work”.
…for a productive workforce
Five dimensions to target......
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24 Government Departments 330 Arms Length Bodies
440,000 staff 54% engaged (October 2013)
UK Civil Service
I am proud when I tell others I am part of my organisation I would recommend it as a great place to work
I feel a strong personal attachment to it It inspires me to do the best in my job
It motivates me to help it achieve its objectives
4: Organisational Integrity
This gives a line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly
Four Key Enablers
There is organisational integrity – the values on the wall are reflected in day to day behaviours.
These expected behaviours are explicit and bought into by staff.
Keep it real – staff see through corporate
spin quicker than customers or the public.
Integrity enables trust: no engagement without trust
THE FOUR KEY ENABLERS : 4. ORGANISATIONAL INTEGRITY
