Tracy-Graf

Tracy Graf

June 2017 - The Public Manager

Managing change requires attention to both the process and the individuals affected.

The Human Element in Lasting Organizational Change

Engagement, done right, yields results. However, if you’re in a leadership or human resources position, you’ve almost certainly come across this alarming statistic (or something similar): “78 percent of your employees are disengaged and looking for new jobs!” Is the bulk of our workforce really steps from the exit door?Those “scare quotes” are, at best, misleading. Polling companies arrive at them because they make engagement a binary equation: workers are either fully engaged or fully disengaged. They might gauge employee engagement on a 1–5 scale, with five being full engagement. If 22 percent of your workers score fives, the polling company will take the other 78 percent who score 1–4 and say they’re disengaged! Voilà—you have scary numbers.But let’s apply some common sense. Do you really think that more than three-quarters of your workforce couldn’t care less what happens at work? That goes against basic human nature.Simply stated, engagement isn’t binary. Engagement is a continuum, a spectrum. There are many levels of engagement, and they change over time. In fact, analysis of over 16 million engagement survey responses reveals that engagement can be broken into four basic categories.Category #1: Fully Engaged (23 percent of survey respondents)These are the most enthusiastic champions of the organization, whose excitement is palpable and contagious. They are constantly learning and taking calculated risks; feel that they are able to stretch beyond their comfort zone; take personal gratification in the quality of their work; find that while work can be stressful, it also can be fun; and love their jobs.Category #2: Key Contributors (49 percent of survey respondents)This cohort meets performance expectations, do what they know well without taking many risks, respond well to leadership, and don’t often feel challenged. In addition, while they don’t necessarily love their jobs, they are actively contributing and involved in the day-to-day. We call these people the “strong-and-steady.” They make up the bulk of the workforce, and they generally perform. But the majority of their work is transactional, rather than transformational. They get things done, but they typically invest limited time in innovating, improving processes, or breaking from the status quo.Consider the old joke about the difference between the chicken and the pig in a bacon-and-egg breakfast: The chicken is involved; the pig is committed. These employees are involved, but they are far from putting their all into their work.Category #3: Key Opportunity Group (24 percent of survey respondents)This group generally feels underutilized, spends a lot of work time taking care of personal needs, does enough to get by and not get in trouble, seldom speaks up, and works mainly for the pay. They are basically marking time, in other words.In our interviews and focus groups with these individuals, we have found that many in the Opportunity Group are actually potential top performers who are burned out. It’s often difficult to identify these individuals, as they disengage and suffer in silence—checking out mentally and emotionally. They don’t make noise, but their contributions are limited. They are the “undecided vote.”As the name implies, there is a huge opportunity to sway this group to a higher level of engagement. However, if nothing is done, they will leave the organization, either physically or psychologically.Category #4: Fully Disengaged (4 percent of survey respondents)These folks are bored and frustrated; say negative things about the work, the company, and its leadership; and tend to blame others for their failures. Rather than quit, workers in this group tend to stay on and, consciously or unconsciously, sabotage things. They are often the most vocal and negatively contagious group within the organization. They can be cancerous and toxic.Many leaders discount this group because of their small numbers. Yet having even one of these individuals on a team can have a significant negative impact. On the other hand, because these individuals tend to be quite vocal about their dissatisfaction and disengagement, management teams often spend a great deal of unproductive time addressing their demands.Moving ForwardPeople tend to move in and out of these four categories of engagement, depending on the environment, incentives, and where they are in their careers and lives. It’s a complex, fluid model that more closely resembles the makeup of a team or organization than the alarming (and inaccurate) statistics being thrown out as scare tactics. It also means that any claim that most of your employees are job hunting is a myth.Now, let’s reconsider the scare tactics that would have you believe seven of the eight people you work with aren’t making positive contributions to the organization because they aren’t psychologically committed. Do you agree with those numbers?But does this mean the headlines about employee engagement are lies? Not quite. It means they are misinterpreted and misapplied. Instead of jumping to conclusions, you should apply some common sense to what you’re reading. Walk out onto the shop floor or past the cubicles in your office. Do you really think that 2 out of 3 of your employees are doing all they can to get out of there because they hate their jobs? Not by a long shot.Lest I be branded a heretic and booted out of the profession, I need to be clear. Should we be concerned about employee engagement? Absolutely! Is it even more of a concern than in the past? Without a doubt! Do we need to focus on and measure it? Clearly!Bottom line: Give your team the benefit of the doubt. They “get it.” They want to succeed, and want to be part of a successful organization. You may be surprised at what happens.Editor’s Note: This blog was adapted from the newly release book, MAGIC: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Employee Engagement.

Employee Engagement Spectrum: Myths Versus Facts

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently released the REDI Roadmap. REDI, which stands for Recruitment, Engagement, Diversity, and Inclusion, reflects OPM’s commitment to the People and Culture pillar of the President’s Management Agenda. REDI helps agencies across government drive other key presidential initiatives, such as diversity and inclusion, closing the skills gap, and fulfilling our commitments to veterans and peoples with disabilities.   The roadmap is a comprehensive, data-driven strategy that uses all the tools available to agencies to help the federal government attract, develop, and retain a talented, engaged, and diverse workforce. OPM Director Katherine Archaletta and Veronica Villalobos, OPM’s director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, were joined by Tracy Orrison, Deputy Program Manager of USAJOBS, and USAJOBS data scientist Graham Kerster presented a special kickoff event. https://youtu.be/iWJHXozib-E“The REDI roadmap was influenced by the incredible insights I gained during my first year as director, especially in my travels across the country, where I heard from federal employees, job applicants, veterans, and college students,” said OPM Director Katherine Archuleta. “OPM is collaborating with agencies and stakeholders from across government to help managers untie hiring knots and eliminate barriers to recruitment and hiring.  The REDI roadmap provides the tools and strategy that will aid federal agencies in their efforts to ensure that our federal workforce draws from the rich diversity of the people it serves.” At its core, REDI is based on three ideas: Decisions are based on data.Digital tools are used to attract and engage a model workforce.Customer service and stakeholder partnerships are at the heart of everything we do. When it comes to recruitment, the REDI roadmap outlines efforts to improve the way the Federal government attracts, recruits, and hires new talent. OPM is helping agencies identify and eliminate barriers to recruiting and hiring the diverse talent they need. By making data-driven decisions, we will improve and tackle key areas, including:untying hiring knotsrevitalizing USAJOBS.govimproving the effectiveness of the Pathways Programexpanding the use of social media tools for strategic recruitmentenhancing OPM’s role as a premier source for innovative recruitment and hiring tools and servicesexpanding partnerships with stakeholders, including colleges and universitieseliminating barriers to attracting diverse talent to the Senior Executive Service. REDI also focuses on employee engagement and leadership development.  Research shows that engagement not only drives productivity and effectiveness in the work place, it is also tied to service, quality, safety, and retention. The roadmap’s efforts to engage employees in ways that will help them best serve America include:promoting and expanding the use of the Unlocktalent.gov, an interactive data visualization toolusing social media tools to honor and recognize the Federal workforceworking with the Chief Learning Officers Council to build a government-wide mentoring hubtraining employees in the “New Inclusion Quotient,” which expands understanding of how employee engagement and inclusion drives organizational performancecollaborating with federal affinity and employee resource groups·offering customized training solutionslaunching GovConnect, which allows employees to share knowledge, collaborate, and apply their skills to solve agency problemsbuilding a cutting-edge Senior Executive Service that will invest in the talented employees of today and develop the next generation of federal leaders.To read the entire REDI Roadmap, please visit www.opm.gov/REDI.

Tracy Graf

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