Unlocking Employee Potential: The Underrated Power of Engagement

Make sure you’re sitting down before you read this.

Set your coffee down, too, because you might spit it out as a result.

Here it is: 70% of your team is not engaged at work right now, according to Jim Clifton’s book “Culture Shock.”

The data is in, and it’s damning - only 30% of the U.S. workforce is fully engaged inside their respective organizations.

Even worse: 50% of the workforce is just getting by, doing the minimum amount required, while 20% are actively fighting against the organization, Clifton notes.

Such statistics aren't merely numbers on a paper. They signal a looming crisis that can threaten a company's foundational pillars.

Needless to say, the costs in terms of productivity, quality of output and client satisfaction should be of massive concern for Fortune 500 marketing leaders and large agencies.

Think about it: With over 70% of the workforce not engaged or actively disengaged, despite decades of research, billions spent on the various efforts such as pay increases, unexpected bonuses, gift cards, team outings, and various appreciation programs, the question remains: Why is employee engagement still stuck around 30%?

The answer is clear:

• Today’s workforce wants purpose and meaning from their work.

• They want to be seen as unique and valuable contributors.

• They want to be respected for who they are, their ideas and what they bring to the workforce.

• They want to be able to adjust their time and intention between their work and their home life.

• They want an honest relationship with their managers.

• They want to work with a manager who shows concern and consistently demonstrates their desire to help team members grow their careers.

This need cannot be solved at the HR department level alone. 

It must be owned by leaders, department heads, managers, and supervisors of every team.

The Gallup Path, based on  25 years of intensive research, underscores a pivotal revelation: The cornerstone of employee engagement lies in the relationship between an employee and their manager. 

When employees feel valued, understood, and aligned with their leaders, they not only work harder but also become brand ambassadors, amplifying the company's vision to the outside world.

Engagement: The Silent Driver of Revenue Growth

Forget the conventional metrics for a moment. 

The real growth drivers? 

Engaged employees. 

They foster engaged customers, creating a virtuous cycle of loyalty, advocacy, and revenue. 

Organizations with a pulsating engagement heartbeat outperform their counterparts by a staggering 200%. 

Furthermore, shareholder returns in such organizations are 20% higher. 

For Fortune 500 marketers and large creative agencies, this isn't just a strategy - it's a mandate.

The Path Forward: Strength-Centric Coaching

Recognizing the dire need to amplify engagement, Kern and Partners has introduced a high-impact manager development program tailored for leaders who are committed to change. This program is a melange of globally-tested engagement measurement methods, transformative manager-to-coach training sessions, and a state-of-the-art micro-learning platform. 

It’s built around the five drivers of employee engagement:

Purpose: What is the value of my contributions?

Development: How can I achieve my career and personal goals?

A Caring Manager: Does my manager really know me? Do we have a relationship?

Ongoing Conversations: How often am I meeting with my manager to discuss my career growth?

A Focus on Their Strengths: How does my role and work use my strengths to energize me?

(Note: You can go here for a deeper dive into our entire training process in this area.)

After 45 years working alongside countless Fortune 500 marketing professionals and scaling my own creative agency to 400 employees, I speak from experience when I say that employee engagement is the key to ongoing, long-term success in driving organizational growth, creating a competitive advantage and maximizing profits. 

Ready To Talk?

Our mission at Kern & Partners is to help senior executives, team leaders, and their team members elevate employee engagement, passion, and work fulfillment by providing the highest quality, most industry-proven team and leadership development programs customized to our client's needs and goals.

We do so by providing the highest quality, most industry-proven team and leadership development programs customized to our client's needs and goals.

If you’d like to learn more, visit us online or connect with me here on LinkedIn to get the conversation started.