By Paula Antonovich, Chief Operating Officer

Lately I have been thinking about employee engagement and what it really means. When you turn to the Google machine, there is a ton of information, but distilling it into something meaningful and useful can be a bit overwhelming. When it comes down to it, the concept of employee engagement is simple: employees who feel cared for and valued — and who can draw a line of sight between what they do and what the organization achieves — are satisfied.

So, why the buzz about employee engagement and how difficult it is to maintain? Well, like most things, the soft stuff is the hard stuff. Getting employees to a place where they are happy, satisfied and motivated – and ultimately producing great work — takes investment from leadership, supervisors and employees. Each plays a crucial role. Leaders must have a vision and share it, often. Supervisors need to have deep and meaningful conversations with their employees, often. Employees need to ask questions and be open to feedback, often. When each person is fulfilling his or her roles and responsibilities, then satisfaction is achieved. So…what can each of us do?

If you are a leader, ask yourself: Am I clear in what I expect our organization to achieve and do I communicate my expectations clearly and often in as many ways as possible?
If you are a supervisor, ask yourself: Do I have a clear understanding of what is expected of me so that I can communicate to employees what is expected of them?
If you are an employee, ask yourself: Do I have a clear understanding of what is expected of me and the resources and tools to meet those expectations?

What are you doing to create an environment in which everyone can thrive? Let’s keep the conversation going. Please email me your thoughts at pantonovich@dai-solutions.com