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The Seven Pillars of Employee EngagementDavid MacLeod is well known in the field of employee engagement.[1] His book, The Extra Mile: How to Engage YourPeople to Win, proposes seven engagement pillars which are closely related to the behaviours and actions of anorganisation’s leadership.[2] When used authentically and consistently, MacLeod argues that the pillars can maximiseoverall engagement. This article considers each pillar in detail, and offers suggestions to help individuals understand anddemonstrate appropriate actions and behaviours to underpin their engagement efforts.

Employee engagement as a tool for success

Successful organisations have long realised that engaged employees are a key asset for creating competitive advantage.Consequently, engagement has changed from a ‘nice to have’ buzzword into a critical component of an organisation’sstrategy for success. Leading research by the CIPD[3] and Towers Perrin[4] highlights the critical link betweenengagement and organisational performance.

The seven pillars

MacLeod proposes seven behavioural ‘pillars’ of engagement which are relevant to all leaders in all organisations.The pillars aim to support the implementation of a focused engagement strategy.[5] Their focus is placed firmly onhow leaders conduct their everyday interactions with employees: from the language they use, the attitudes they conveyand the actions and behaviours they display. The importance of each pillar depends on organisational circumstancesand the strengths and weaknesses of each leader’s engagement behaviour.

Pillar 1 – Showing commitment

Without strong commitment from an organisation’s leader, many engagement strategies are doomed to fail. To driveengagement efforts effectively, a leader should have:

a clear plan for how the engagement strategy will be implemented as well as firm conviction in the finaloutcomecontinued visibility and approachability throughout the engagement processunwavering stamina and determination to see the process through to fruition

Once the initial excitement and enthusiasm for new engagement efforts has subsided, many leaders find that motivationand morale dips as people start thinking of the problems, challenges and uncertainties that the changes will bring.During this period, a leader’s commitment and resolve will be strongly tested.

It is important to remember that employees will watch and take their cue from the behaviours and attitude of theirleader. As MacLeod says:[6]

“If they see you reading from notes, avoiding difficult or awkward issues, orseeming unsure about the engagement strategy, they will remain doubtful,confused and unable to embrace the necessary changes.”

To counteract these problems leaders should:

have a compelling story to tell employees about what they are trying to achieve and how this will happenwin employees’ trust by outlining what will be expected and the impact on their day-to-day responsibilities

Pillar 2: Get to the front line

Having a presence on the ‘shop floor’ is essential; however, many leaders remain out of touch with the views andconcerns of the workforce. Remote leadership has a negative impact upon employee morale and motivation.[7]Keeping in regular contact with front line employees (and operational managers) allows leaders to model desiredbehaviours and actions at every opportunity.

A leader’s front line presence can be improved by:

creating opportunities for informal face-to-face contact with employees rather than relying on communicating tothem en-masse at large, impersonal meetings

holding regular events (e.g. lunches or focus groups) with employees from different levels and locations togather and gain an understanding of their viewswalking the floor of each department with key managers, asking questions and listening to employees’ concernshaving a regularly updated blog, forum or Q&A box designed to keep employees informed and solicit theirfeedback

Pillar 3: Loudhailers to conversations

Employees who are given the opportunity to contribute to decision-making and strategy development have a greaterconnection and sense of ownership. By comparison, employees who are removed from key decisions can feel shut outand demotivated. According to MacLeod, a sense of co-ownership leads to increased discretionary effort and higherengagement levels as employees feel motivated to achieve the outcomes they played a part in shaping. Creating co-ownership is a key area for leaders to address.

Keeping people informed about the decisions which affect them, and providing opportunities for them to openlyexpress their views can go a long way to improving engagement. At the individual level, positive actions shouldinclude:

using ‘we ’ and ‘us’ in conversations with employees, rather than ‘I’ or ‘me’, can help create a sense of jointownershipavoiding the use of jargon or complex terminology: help employees understand key messages by keeping thelanguage simplemaking it personal: when a leader reveals how much they care about a particular issue (perhaps by usingpersonal anecdotes, stories and metaphors) employees will respond more positively

Pillar 4: The reservoir of wellbeing

Creating an effective psychological contract helps employees feel motivated and engaged.[8] A leader’s role in thisprocess is critical, as employees who feel that appreciation, development and reward come ‘from the top’ will invest morediscretionary effort.

It is a leader’s responsibility to ensure that reward and remuneration frameworks are equitable and that they areimplemented fairly across their area(s) of responsibility.[9] Leaders should also endeavour to:

lead by example: dealing with poor performers, giving constructive feedback and addressing difficult issuesdirectlypersonally recognise and acknowledge employee successes, e.g. by sending a personal email or cardexpressing thanks or highlighting achievements at meetings and other key events

Pillar 5: Bring back the manager

Line manager behaviour and the work environments they create have a profound impact on engagement levels.Good managers have the power to motivate and inspire their teams; poor managers have quite the opposite effectand can sap morale as their teams simply ‘go through the motions’.

Leaders should focus their efforts on developing the managerial capacity needed to deliver a high-performanceengagement culture. This can be done by:

redefining the organisation’s concept of a manager to ensure that enough emphasis is placed on developing thecapabilities needed to engage those they are responsible forensuring adequate investment in developing the required management capabilities for engagement; accordingto MacLeod, the skills that a manager needs to facilitate engagement include leading through change,managing performance, recognising efforts, establishing and leading effective teams andcommunicating with impactstreamlining the managerial role to ensure that sufficient time and energy can be dedicated to effective peoplemanagement; this can be achieved by ensuring that an appropriate percentage of time is spent on people issues,as opposed to other projects and activities

Pillar 6: Harnessing talent

Although much has been made of the so-called ‘war for talent’, MacLeod contends that many leaders fail to recognisethat talent exists at all levels within their organisations. Many follow the well-trodden path of focusing on an elite groupof ‘high potentials’ at the expense of a more inclusive approach.

Unequal access to development opportunities can breed a culture of resentment and reduce engagement. Leadersshould influence the direction of talent management strategies by:

encouraging a broad view of what constitutes talent in the organisationallowing ideas and talent management processes to evolve in response to changing needs and prioritieswhen it comes to sourcing talent, encouraging managers and the recruitment function to look outside normalprocesses to find talent in unexpected places

Pillar 7: Creating consequences

MacLeod argues that engagement will remain a background issue unless people are made truly accountable forachieving it. Measuring improvements in engagement and providing a clear link to appropriate rewards will helpelevate the importance of overall engagement efforts.

Leaders should take an active role in the development of their organisation’s performance management framework by:

encouraging the right behaviours by making improved engagement metrics part of managers’ formal performanceassessment criteria and rewards[10]ensuring an appropriate balance between positive employee behaviours and achieving tangible businessresults

Conclusion

As MacLeod’s book shows, there are many ways in which a leader can influence employees to ‘go the extra mile’. Everyemployee has the capacity to become more engaged, and it is up to organisational leaders to understand how theirbehaviour impacts upon engagement levels, and identify what they can do to enhance their efforts.

[1] In 2008, MacLeod was commissioned by the BIS to lead a review of employee engagement in the UK. Find out moreabout the review at: www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/employment/employee-engagement/index.html.

[2] David MacLeod and Chris Brady, The Extra Mile: How to Engage Your People to Win (Pearson Education, 2008).

[3] K. Truss, E. Soane, C. Edwards, K. Wisdom, A. Croll and J. Burnett, ‘Working Life: Employee Attitudes andEngagement’, CIPD Research Report (2006).

[4] Towers Perrin Global Workforce Study 2008.

[5] Typical engagement strategies involve improving an organisation’s performance environment in order to increase thepercentage of ‘highly engaged’ employees. For more information on creating an engagement strategy, see:http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/10/17/47938/employee-engagement-trade-secrets.html.

[6] Ibid.

[7] BIS/Chartered Management Institute Research, ‘Inspired Leadership: Insights Into People Who Inspire ExceptionalPerformance’ (August 2004). Available at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file10989.pdf.

[8] The psychological contract is an unwritten aspect of the employment relationship which represents the beliefs,perceptions, and informal obligations between an employer and an employee.

[9] This process is likely to require close collaboration with HR specialists to ensure that effective reward andremuneration strategies are developed and implemented.

[10] Engagement metrics can include employee satisfaction scores, retention rates, turnover figures and performanceimprovements.

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