Do you ever feel like not going to work?
You’re not the only one, today I’m really struggling to get my work done and concentrate. I’m just not ‘feeling’ it, I could skip writing this blog post for today as nobody is holding me accountable but I made a commitment to do it so I’m trying to push through and get it done. My favourite part of the work that I do is working with teams and running workshops it’s highly interactive and I find that energising and satisfying. Sitting and writing is more introspective but it is important to the work that I do as it helps me to take time to reflect on what I’ve learnt over the week so I don’t lose those learnings as well as preparing for workshops I have coming up. Like this week I have a workshop on individual and team performance, of which purpose and employee engagement is really important.
So we all have parts of our roles we like doing more than others but what happens when that balance is tipped? I have found that this leads to unhappy, unfulfilled workers at greater risk of not having mental wellbeing or satisfaction in their roles. The amount of friction and conflict in the workplace rises leading to disagreements and arguments which contribute to a negative culture.
Workplace data shows an increased level of employee absences and turnover rates. The amount of rework or project over runs increases or the amount of industrial action in the form of grievance, disciplines and bullying claims. The research tells us that Australians rank highest in the world for satisfaction with their lives outside of work (7.5/10) but are some of the lowest with engagement in their workplace with only 14% engaged. (Gallup The state of the Global Workforce)
Do you need to enquire as to the reasons for this disengagement through an employee survey? That depends on why you want to ask and what you are going to do with the data once you have it. Too many organisations go out and make enquiries through a survey to tell them what they already know and then as that was the primary reason for asking nothing happens with the data once collected. Therefore if you are planning on a employee survey my top tips are:
Be clear on why you are asking - the purpose of the survey needs to be clear to everyone
Have a plan of action on how you are going to share the data afterwards - often the results aren’t always positive, so data can get stuck at the leadership level whilst they absorb it but it has a shelf life so be brave a publish.
Have a plan to make changes to the current status and how they will be formulated - the point of a survey is to make change happen so this is a crucial up front activity that needs managers and leaders to be trained and employees to be on board.
If possible engage with a specialist company to help with the questions, there are a number of dedicated companies with ‘off the shelf’ solutions - if however you can’t afford this option and are going to go down the DIY route this article by Harvard University will help you.
Keep questions between survey’s consistent so you are able to measure improvement and ROI - keep in mind the point of having engaged, healthy and happy employees is to see an improvement in your culture but also the overall health of the organisation for some this will mean profits but others productivity understanding that will keep you focused and your program funded into the future.
Finally I wouldn’t have an annual survey if possible! - the pace of change is just too quick, break it down and have quarterly or monthly ones that focus on specific areas of importance in employee engagement and well-being.
I have found working with leaders to increase their capabilities in gaining feedback from their teams and being able to listen and understand that feedback, developing action plans that make a real difference leads to engaged employees who are happy and healthy. Leaders are able to change their energy source from self depleting to team invigorating increasing performance and productivity.
If you would like to know more about my workshops then please give me a call for a no obligation discussion to find out more on 0423 360507
