It's time to get pragmatic and admit that, while "employee engagement" is a great buzzword, it misses the mark when it comes to application and impact. When something is not easy to define, easy to communicate and easy to measure, then your chances of successfully influencing it are slim to none.
Why team resilience is the new employee engagement.
The general idea behind an employee engagement strategy is that when employees feel good, it will result in higher profits through increased productivity, and save money in the form of reduced healthcare costs and sick days and less employee turnover. The potential for return on investment is enormous. However, it's difficult to make a case for ROI without measurement, and every organization that is measuring employee engagement is doing it based on their unique definition of it.
This is something we can measure and track over time by looking at the following dimensions:
Direction: Resilient teams have a clarity of purpose that is shared among all of its members. They are all moving in the same direction as a collective unit.
Connection: Those on resilient teams know that they can do more together than they can on their own. They trust one another, have psychological safety, and are open to productive conflict.
Alignment: Resilient teams are aligned with the needs of their internal and external stakeholders, and with the big-picture strategy of the organization. They are able to adapt to meet changing needs without drama.
Attitude: Resilient team members bring an optimistic, "can do" attitude to work, and don't let obstacles or setbacks get in their way.
Performance: Finally, resilient teams get things done! They deliver results, meeting, and exceeding their goals and objectives.
Now, you might notice that this idea hits on many of the same qualities one would think of when it comes to "employee engagement." But in reality, focusing on "team resilience" is about pivoting to a concept that is more specific, relative and will be perceived to have business value by executives and decision-makers.
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