Employee engagement is all the rage. Research shows that successful companies have engaged employees. So, to be successful, organizations should increase employee engagement. 

I work for an organization that values employee engagement. In the last two weeks, I have completed three surveys asking me about my level of engagement. My anonymous answers will be aggregated with my colleagues’ and reported to senior managers. There will be many discussions and workgroups aimed at improving the numbers. Engagement has become easily measurable but it remains hard to do.

Employee engagement cannot be achieved anonymously or through aggregation, or even by making it a top priority. It happens (or doesn’t) one employee at a time and is most influenced by one’s immediate supervisor. Too often, employees are not allowed to engage because bosses are expected to make all of the important decisions, leaving little for employees to engage in. It is part of the culture.

Employee engagement is also easy. All it takes is for supervisors to let go of control and engage the people who actually do the work. Here are some questions I use to engage people:

1. What do you think?
2. What are your ideas?
3. What energizes you?
4. What frustrates you at work?
5. What can I do to help you succeed?
6. If you were in my position, what would be your top priority?
7. What is your vision for the future?

The point in asking these questions is not to improve employee engagement scores, but to improve the work. Excellent leaders see employees as partners in the work, not hired hands to do the work of management. They actually implement employee suggestions because employees have good ideas. Successful companies engage employees to improve their business, not their scores.

For more radical ideas on how to improve the workplace, see my book, Management Culture, available at mgmtculture.com or through Amazon.