Engaged Students Will Become Engaged Workers

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I work regularly with Fortune 500 companies, and their leaders tell me that engagement—or rather, the lack thereof—has become a primary focus. In other words, more so than ever before, employees are bored out of their minds. Unfortunately, organizations struggle to secure employee commitment because people are conditioned to simply go “through the motions” of work. Sadly, employees learned this behavior in the school system.

I work regularly with Fortune 500 companies, and their leaders tell me that engagement—or rather, the lack thereof—has become a primary focus. In other words, more so than ever before, employees are bored out of their minds. Unfortunately, organizations struggle to secure employee commitment because people are conditioned to simply go “through the motions” of work. Sadly, employees learned this behavior in the school system. 

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Conditioned for Mediocrity

Conditioned for Mediocrity 

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Before our employees started working, they were students, and schools have taught them to be disengaged. In a teach-to-the-test era, students are becoming “memorizing machines” —committing facts and figures to memory in order to do well on standardized exams. Rarely do students get the chance to explore idiosyncratic interests or pursue topics about which they’re passionate. Instead, they receive good grades for competence, just as employees receive decent salaries for efficiency.

Before our employees started working, they were students, and schools have taught them to be disengaged. In a teach-to-the-test era, students are becoming “memorizing machines”—committing facts and figures to memory in order to do well on standardized exams. Rarely do students get the chance to explore idiosyncratic interests or pursue topics about which they’re passionate. Instead, they receive good grades for competence, just as employees receive decent salaries for efficiency. 

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For the sake of productivity in our organizations—and for the sake of young, naturally curious minds—things need to change. Companies can no longer afford to employ people who are working diligently but without purpose and passion. In a globally and intensely competitive era of rising costs and ambitious growth strategies, businesses need people who are driven to excel. What’s more, in the face of increasing complexity and ambiguity, we need individuals who care enough to meet these challenges.

For the sake of productivity in our organizations—and for the sake of young, naturally curious minds—things need to change. Companies can no longer afford to employ people who are working diligently but without purpose and passion. In a globally and intensely competitive era of rising costs and ambitious growth strategies, businesses need people who are driven to excel. What’s more, in the face of increasing complexity and ambiguity, we need individuals who care enough to meet these challenges.

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Unfortunately, these employees won’t just emerge through great engagement training protocols. They need to be acculturated to engagement. And that starts with the educational system.

Unfortunately, these employees won’t just emerge through great engagement training protocols. They need to be acculturated to engagement. And that starts with the educational system.

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Here’s the good news: children naturally seek engagement . They are intensely curious, even in adolescence. If you doubt that statement, you’ve never observed a kid playing a video game or communicating on social media. They can spend hours attempting to move up a level in a game or jumping from link to link in pursuit of some important (to them) piece of knowledge. Admittedly, though, sometimes kids are curious about subjects that strike us as silly or superficial—destroying an invading alien army or learning why a friend or a celebrity broke up with her boyfriend.

Here’s the good news: children naturally seek engagement. They are intensely curious, even in adolescence. If you doubt that statement, you’ve never observed a kid playing a video game or communicating on social media. They can spend hours attempting to move up a level in a game or jumping from link to link in pursuit of some important (to them) piece of knowledge. Admittedly, though, sometimes kids are curious about subjects that strike us as silly or superficial—destroying an invading alien army or learning why a friend or a celebrity broke up with her boyfriend.

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Breaking the Cycle of Disengagement

Breaking the Cycle of Disengagement

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Schools can channel this innate curiosity in productive directions. They can reject the 19th century classroom model that was designed to produce obedient industrial workers—one where students sit silently in perfect rows and are prepared for two jobs: assembly line worker (they know how to memorize tasks and follow instructions) or teacher.

Schools can channel this innate curiosity in productive directions. They can reject the 19th century classroom model that was designed to produce obedient industrial workers—one where students sit silently in perfect rows and are prepared for two jobs: assembly line worker (they know how to memorize tasks and follow instructions) or teacher.

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Instead, the educational system can embrace the new model—one designed to feed all types of organizations desperate for scientists, lawyers, researchers, managers, and others who are willing to take risks and fail, who invest themselves fully in their tasks, who relish stretch assignments that challenge them to solve tough problems.

Instead, the educational system can embrace the new model—one designed to feed all types of organizations desperate for scientists, lawyers, researchers, managers, and others who are willing to take risks and fail, who invest themselves fully in their tasks, who relish stretch assignments that challenge them to solve tough problems.

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To be sure, this is no easy task. In fact, transforming our classrooms in this manner will require considerable effort and plenty of time. But it’s an endeavor that we can start meeting immediately if we capitalize on a resource that exists in most schools: dedicated, creative teachers. People don’t become teachers because they want to make a lot of money or because it’s a glamorous profession; they enter the field with a sincere desire to help children learn and grow. More than that, teachers are often ingenious at helping kids become engaged in a given subject.

To be sure, this is no easy task. In fact, transforming our classrooms in this manner will require considerable effort and plenty of time. But it’s an endeavor that we can start meeting immediately if we capitalize on a resource that exists in most schools: dedicated, creative teachers. People don’t become teachers because they want to make a lot of money or because it’s a glamorous profession; they enter the field with a sincere desire to help children learn and grow. More than that, teachers are often ingenious at helping kids become engaged in a given subject.

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But teachers need to be freed from the tyranny of tests and curriculums in order to exercise this ability. Given just a little bit of freedom, they might not teach Catcher in the Rye as if it were a list of names and places (“What is the name of the hotel Holden Caulfield checks into when he arrives in New York?”). Instead, they might ask students to write what they’d advise Holden to do if he were their best friend, or have them create text messages or blogs that Holden might write if he were an adolescent today.

But teachers need to be freed from the tyranny of tests and curriculums in order to exercise this ability. Given just a little bit of freedom, they might not teach Catcher in the Rye as if it were a list of names and places (“What is the name of the hotel Holden Caulfield checks into when he arrives in New York?”). Instead, they might ask students to write what they’d advise Holden to do if he were their best friend, or have them create text messages or blogs that Holden might write if he were an adolescent today.

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When engaged, students become learning machines rather than memorizing machines. Case in point: My three teenage sons play a game called “Assassin’s Creed.” Motivated to solve its puzzles, they absorb a lot of history—they “talk” to Benjamin Franklin and historical luminaries in order to gain the information necessary to do well at the game.

When engaged, students become learning machines rather than memorizing machines. Case in point: My three teenage sons play a game called “Assassin’s Creed.” Motivated to solve its puzzles, they absorb a lot of history—they “talk” to Benjamin Franklin and historical luminaries in order to gain the information necessary to do well at the game.

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A Call to Action

A Call to Action

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Enlightened talent management leaders—and even CEOs—understand the need to break the cycle of mediocrity. Unlike traditional leaders, they don’t want a company filled with efficient “Yes” men and women—or even the best and the brightest. Rather, they seek employees who care enough to be disruptive, to challenge the status quo, and to take risks in order to find that elusive great idea.

Enlightened talent management leaders—and even CEOs—understand the need to break the cycle of mediocrity. Unlike traditional leaders, they don’t want a company filled with efficient “Yes” men and women—or even the best and the brightest. Rather, they seek employees who care enough to be disruptive, to challenge the status quo, and to take risks in order to find that elusive great idea.

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These leaders also know how tough it is to find engaged employees or train engagement into them. That’s why organizations need to support the need to educational changes—starting the process in elementary schools. As business gradually eliminates command-and-control systems and hierarchies that discouraged commitment to jobs, they must also help schools remove a framework in which teachers are “taskmasters” and students are “taskdoers.”

These leaders also know how tough it is to find engaged employees or train engagement into them. That’s why organizations need to support the need to educational changes—starting the process in elementary schools. As business gradually eliminates command-and-control systems and hierarchies that discouraged commitment to jobs, they must also help schools remove a framework in which teachers are “taskmasters” and students are “taskdoers.”

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Bottom line: Creating a more participative, interest-driven educational system will benefit all involved—students, workers, and business. Indeed, it will produce a deep pool of engaged graduates from which organizations can draw.

Bottom line: Creating a more participative, interest-driven educational system will benefit all involved—students, workers, and business. Indeed, it will produce a deep pool of engaged graduates from which organizations can draw.

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Are you on board with retooling the education system? Share your ideas in the Comments below or tweet @erikwahl .

Are you on board with retooling the education system? Share your ideas in the Comments below or tweet @erikwahl.