A recent Employee Engagement Report by global consulting firm BlessingWhite indicates that even though most employees express positive feelings about their work, employers, and managers, less than one-fifth are fully engaged in their work.

Much of the disconnect is tied to “lack of alignment”. Said another way - the missing element comes down to basic communication and follow up. It may seem overly simple, but many leaders do not fully appreciate the importance of a solid communication strategy and its impact on employee engagement and their bottom line.

The BelssingWhite study indicates that 41% of the 714 respondents believe their organization’s strategy was well communicated, however only 19% believe daily work priorities are linked to a clearly communicated strategy.

Clear communication is taken for granted, so it is assumed that the necessary elements that give work meaning just naturally get revealed throughout the organization. This rarely happens without a plan. The good news is you do not need to pay high-priced consulting fees to create a solid communication strategy. Just walk through the process, get it on paper and get every manager onboard. Then add the necessary follow up activities to ensure your business purpose is understood in the way you intended … and in a way that connects with your team. 

A communication strategy is an excellent way to get your employees engaged in the process of creating a better workplace. Form a committee with representatives throughout the organization to help you inspire and connect profits with purpose.

Creating a communication plan does not require a lot of time or expensive tools, but it pays big dividends in your spirit and the bottom line.

The following press release can be found at http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/6/emw403077.htm. 

Employee Engagement is Still a Goal Not Reality Warns BlessingWhite Study 
 
Princeton, NJ (PRWEB via HRMarketer) June 23, 2006 — The latest Employee Engagement Report by global consulting firm BlessingWhite indicates that even though the majority of employees express positive feelings about their work, their employers, and even their managers, less than one-fifth are fully engaged in their work. “Engaged employees are not just happy or proud. They are what we call ‘enthused and in gear,’ focusing their talents to make a difference in their employer’s success,” explains Christopher Rice, BlessingWhite’s President and CEO. “We found that only 18% of our survey respondents had all the pieces of this engagement puzzle in place.”

According to the report, lack of alignment is a primary reason for so few employees being fully engaged. Rice observes, “For the third year in a row, our survey results indicate that strategy isn’t getting very far out of the boardroom. Although more respondents this year indicated that their organization’s strategy is well communicated (41% vs. 33% in 2005), only 19% indicated that they believe daily work priorities are linked to a clearly communicated strategy. Our findings suggest that a lot of well-meaning, hard-working employees are spinning their wheels on work that may not matter much to their employers. Sooner or later, their attitude will take a nose-dive or they’ll burn out.” Another key finding: Strong manager-employee partnerships lead to more engaged employees.

This year’s report also found that more than two-thirds of employees do not see visible actions by their employers to increase employee engagement. According to Rice, “We’re not suggesting that organizations implement workforce initiatives emblazoned with ‘engagement’ in neon letters. There is evidence, however, that if leaders begin talking about engagement or conduct employee engagement surveys, they need to be vigilant in helping their workforce understand what’s happening as follow-up.”

BlessingWhite’s 2006 Employee Engagement Report includes recommendations for driving organizational clarity, tapping into the self-interests and motivation of individual employees, and helping managers link business imperatives with employee needs.

About the Study
An online survey link was emailed in April 2006 to individuals representing a cross-section of job functions, job titles, and industries. 73% of the 714 respondents reside in North America, 15% in Europe, and 11% in Asia-Pacific. Nearly two-thirds hold management or supervisory titles. For an executive summary or the full 2006 Employee Engagement Report, contact Deb Ackles at Dackles at Bwinc.com or call 908-904-1000 X8171.

About BlessingWhite
BlessingWhite is a global consulting firm dedicated to creating sustainable high-performance organizations. Based in Princeton, NJ, with locations in London, Chicago, San Francisco, and Melbourne, the company has worked with almost three million professionals in thousands of organizations since its founding in 1973. BlessingWhite’s consulting services, tools, and training create high-performance cultures, develop leaders who get results and inspire, equip leaders to coach more strategically and efficiently, and align individual self-interest and talents at all levels of the organization with business-critical business goals.

Media Contact: Deb Ackles at Dackles at Bwinc.com or call 908-904-1000 X8171.

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com).