Last week, I opened a discussion on retention. There was lots of great feedback on this topic—thank you for your comments.
I think this issue strikes a nerve with so many people because we’ve all had supervisors who have failed to inspire us. It is hard to feel engaged when this relationship is not right.
On the other hand, it’s such a challenge to be a great manager and lead in a way that others experience your involvement in their lives as inspirational.
How do high performing managers become proficient at this difficult task. According to new research by the Gallup Organization, they focus on the wellbeing of those they manage.
But, not in a way you might imagine.
Gallup’s Research on Employee Wellbeing
Gallup’s research on this topic shows a clear link between employee engagement and wellbeing. This is not surprising, and most would consider this connection self-evident.
What is surprising? The research showed a first-level manager must serve as a conduit for the cause (wellbeing) and affect (engagement) to materialize. If the wellbeing exists in a vacuum, the engagement in the organization does not really develop.
The Failure of the Corporate Wellness Program
How did the Gallup researchers figure this out? It was by studying the failure of widespread “corporate wellness programs.”
Many employers have hopped aboard the wellness bandwagon in recent years… 85% of U.S. companies employing 1,000 people or more offer some sort of workplace wellness program. It’s safe to assume that these companies genuinely want to help their employees lead healthier lives while seeing a healthier bottom line too.
Yet simply offering a wellness program — no matter how well-intentioned — provides no guarantee of improving employees’ well-being…. only 24% of employees are participating.
The logic is easy to follow. If employees feel better, they’ll be more engaged. Here’s the problem—physical wellbeing is only a small part of the overall equation and it happens to be the component that employees seem to care about least.
The Bigger Picture
So, what does work? Engagement happens when an employee has a great manager who has a holistic understanding of a person’s wellbeing. The Gallup researchers summarized it this way:
Managers account for at least 70% of team variation on employee engagement. [In the context of a good manager], the five essential elements of wellbeing are:
Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals
Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life
Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security
Community: liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in your community
Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily
In Part 1 of this discussion, we outlined some tactical issues worth considering as you fight the retention battle. Keep doing those things.
However, don’t ignore the strategic issues. Striving to address the five essential “big picture” elements that Gallup uncovered will equip you to be the manager who is the conduit to your agents’ engagement in your organization.
If your agents are engaged, all kinds of good outcomes materialize…not the least of which is retention.
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