Why This Course

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment and motivation employees have toward their work and the organization. It reflects their willingness to go above and beyond in their roles and their overall satisfaction and sense of purpose. Engaged employees are more productive, contribute to a positive workplace culture, and are less likely to leave the organization. Employees who are not engaged perform with mediocrity at best, and at worst underperform, disrupt, and spread negativity.

There’s an old saying that people don’t quit companies, they quit managers. Post-pandemic we’ve been exposed to the dire state of management across the globe. The great resignation, quiet quitting, and the inability to hire, are a few hot topics that indicate a serious problem. There’s ample proof in the employee engagement data reported by Gallup(1) as well as workforce trust issues(7). Those reports show respectively that 70% of the workforce feel detached from their jobs, and 74% feel distrusted by management.

These challenges aren’t new; they’ve been around for a long time and often overlooked. It’s also well-known that the primary responsibility for employee satisfaction falls on their direct supervisors(4)(5)(6). It might seem easy to point fingers at bad managers, but that’s not entirely accurate, and there’s no evidence to back it up. The real issue is a mix of factors, like insufficient training and resources, ineffective systems, and corporate cultures that don’t support employee well-being. However, a significant part of the problem does come from underperforming managers. While many managers can be upskilled, plenty more are promoted into supervisory roles they’re not suited for.

Anecdotally speaking, there’s a tendency to promote top performers to management vacancies. While there isn’t a lot of research in this area, a 2018 Harvard Business Review report(6) found that being a top salesperson corresponded to a 15% higher probability of being promoted, along with 7.5% decline in the performance of the teams under these managers. Speaking to managers of all stripes, I find little debate that this bias exists; but it’s often defended. On face value, it seems to make sense: rewarding performance, retaining institutional knowledge, the hope of transferring superior skillsets to the team, and the comfort of a well-known resource. However, management skills rely on a set of often instinctive behaviors that differ from those of an individual contributor, regardless of their expertise.

Employee Engagement (EE) is measured by surveying sentiment in these areas:

• Clarity on roles and expectations.

• Receiving regular recognition and feedback.

• Excellent relationships with supervisors and peers.

• The availability of tools and resources.

• Feeling empathy from management.

• Being heard & the significance of opinions.

• Support for learning and development.

• Ability to focus on what they do best.

• A cultural commitment to quality work.

The impact of low EE scores is staggering. Gallup analyzed links between EE survey scores and productivity(2). Their conclusion, organizations with the top scores outperform those with lower scores as follows:

• 18% higher productivity

• 10% higher customer satisfaction

• 43% lower employee attrition

• 23% higher profits

Gallup has further documented that the productivity hit from low employee engagement results in a $1.9 Trillion loss(3) Annually, for 2023.

Other indicators of poor employee engagement without EE survey scores.

• Projects not scheduled and/or completed on time

• Customers dissatisfied with service

• Inability to retain top talent

• Unacceptable or increased levels of:

  • Defects and self-inflicted wounds

  • Absenteeism, tardiness, and breaks

  • Negativity and conflicts

  • Unproductive interruptions

If EE is so important, why do organizations get it so wrong? There’s no one answer, but for struggling organizations you’ll likely find deficiencies in these areas:

• Systems and processes to aid managers

• Supervisory and leadership skills training

• Vetting managerial preparedness when promoting

• Maintaining an employee-centric culture

In summary, we’ve established that:

• Most workers are critically detached from their roles and their organizations.

• Unengaged workers lead to substantial lost productivity, and income.

• Frontline managers have the primary responsibility for employee engagement.(4)(5)(6)

Given the impact of poor employee engagement on performance, it’s clear why this course is essential. The solution is straightforward: properly assess and then effectively train managers towards optimal performance by prioritizing the qualities that foster an engaged workforce. That’s the objective of this course.

Course Structure

Chapters 1 and 2 of this course help assess your preparedness for taking on a management role. Even if you are already in a management role, the information will be very valuable.

Chapters 3 & 4 will help you become the best manager possible in the shortest amount time. The lessons are founded on real-world experience, not just academic principles. They are short and to the point, without reliance on idealistic or trendy concepts. 

Terms & Definitions

These terms may seem straightforward, but this clarifies how they will be applied throughout the course.

• Manager, Supervisor. A person responsible to direct & oversee the results of others.

• Individual Contributor. A person whose focus is transactional work and has no supervisory responsibilities.

• Team, Staff, Subordinates, Direct Reports. The people who report directly to you or other manager/supervisor.

• Frontline Manager. A manager/supervisor whose direct reports include individual contributors only, i.e., they do not supervise other managers.

• Boss. The person you report to in a managerial role. This is to help with clarity since the word manager will be used so often.

• Organization. A company, NGO, governmental agency, or institution with employees/workforce.

• Department.  A subgroup within a larger organization requiring a manager to operate.

• Stakeholders. Those who have an interest or concern in your performance. Your boss, your team, other departments, customers, vendors, partners, stockholders.

Assumptions

• You are considering your very first managerial role, or you’ve recently taken one.

• You have access to a job description that defines the management role you’re contemplating or currently have.

• You have a basic understanding of the role and the associated team's responsibilities.

• You know who you’ll report directly to.

• You know what goods and services the team produces.

• You know or can easily discover who the potential stakeholders are.

• You will work in an organization with a Human Resources (HR) function.

• You will be supervising a team that already exists, and has preexisting goals. i.e., you are not involved in the formation of a new department.