5 Powerful Steps To Improve Employee Engagement: Brent Gleeson

5 Powerful Steps To Improve
Employee Engagement
Brent GleesonContributor
Leadership Strategy
I write about leadership and organizational excellence.
Engaged employees
Today more than ever, organizations rely on the energy, commitment and
engagement of their workforce in order to survive and thrive in the twenty-
first century. As a former Navy SEAL, I can assure you that one of the
fundamental reasons we continue to dominate our battlefield and defeat a
very dangerous and decentralized enemy is due to the fact that we have
100% employee engagement. We have ecosystems of empowered teams
that are fully engaged and working in a “decentralized command”
environment.
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According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 15% of

employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs – meaning that they are
emotionally invested in committing their time, talent and energy in adding
value to their team and advancing the organization’s initiatives. More
Gallop research shows that employee disengagement costs the United
States upwards of $550 billion a year in lost productivity. So one could see
why this is both a serious problem that most leaders and managers face
with today’s workforce — but also an amazing opportunity for companies
that learn to master the art of engagement.
Today In: Leadership
The current business environment, and the world in general, is moving

faster than it ever has before. Organizations across the globe are faced with
more change than most can handle — in order to compete and dominate
their segment they are required to grow faster often giving them less time to
focus on managing all of their financial goals. They are forced to grow
quickly with fewer resource - to do more with less. Managers have to learn
to excel in managing themselves, their teams and meeting organizational
goals simultaneously.
It is a common understanding of a vast majority of leaders that the

employees are a company’s most important asset. But in reality, that is only
true when the majority of the workforce is fully engaged in their work. If
not, they are either adding minimal value or actively working against the
organization.
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Workforce
There are three types of employees in any organization:
Engaged (15% of the workforce). These employees are loyal and

emotionally committed to the organization. They are in roles where they
excel and where their talents are truly leveraged. They enthusiastically
invest in their work and take on responsibilities outside of their job
description. They are generally more likely to become emerging leaders and
will stay with an organization much longer then disengaged employees.
Not Engaged (67% of the workforce). These employees can be difficult

to identify because they are often relatively happy and satisfied in their role.
However, they do the bare minimum and are not invested in the company’s
mission, vision, values or goals. They are less likely to be customer-focused
and are not concerned about productivity or company profitability. These
team members are both a threat and great opportunity – because with the
proper approach, they can be transformed into engaged employees that
thrive in the organization.
Actively Disengaged (18% of the workforce). We have all worked

alongside these people. They are consistently negative, create a toxic
environment, dominate their manager’s time and are usually vocal about
their unhappiness. What’s worse, is they are often subject matter experts
well-respected in their unique skillset. And because of that, they often have
significant influence over others. These employees can easily spread toxicity
throughout an organization and can rarely be transformed into true “A”
players.
Most studies point to the fact that employee engagement has a direct
impact on productivity and profitability. That seems self-evident, yet many
managers still struggle to define, measure and improve engagement in their
teams.
The Leader’s Role in Engagement
Leaders improve engagement by defining and communicating a powerful

vision for the organization. They hire and develop managers that are
emotionally invested in the organization’s mission and vision and give them
the resources to build great teams with the right people in the right roles.
They empower.
The Manager’s Role in Engagement
Great managers ensure they acquire and develop great talent – they get the
right people on the bus and make sure they are in the right seats. They
actively prioritize engagement. Their team’s activities align perfectly behind
the mission narrative of the organization.
In many of my articles, I dive deep in to the methodologies, tools and

strategies leaders and managers need to successfully navigate the murky
waters of twenty-first century organizational transformation — for leading
change. I showcase how to build a culture that is more nimble and adaptive
founded on the principles of trust and accountability. The issue at hand is
with such low engagement in the workforce, it is very difficult to create a
culture of trust and accountability.
70% of organizational transformation efforts fall significantly short of

realizing the company’s goals. Why? Because change is hard, takes longer
and usually has higher hard and soft costs than managers and leaders
generally plan for. Change can be intensely personal for employees, causes
fear and can actually reduce productivity when approached improperly.
Humans are emotional creatures — and most managers hold the

misconception that their team members are largely rational in their
decision-making process. Yet studies show that we base 70% of our
decisions on emotional factors and only 30% on rational factors. But this
can also be a great way to improve engagement. Improving engagement is
simple — but clearly not easy. Here’s how.
5 Powerful Steps to Improve Employee Engagement
How do managers know who is engaged? Their team members need to be

able to confidently state the following:
• I know what is expected of me and my work quality.
• I have the resources and training to thrive in my role.
• I have the opportunity to do what I do best – every day.

• I frequently receive recognition, praise and constructive criticism.
• I trust my manager and believe they have my best interests in mind.
• My voice is heard and valued.
• I clearly understand the mission and purpose and how I contribute to

each.
• I have opportunities to learn and grow both personally and professionally.
The steps for improving engagement aren’t complex, they simply must be
prioritized. Which means engagement must be a core function of the
manager’s role.
All else then falls into place.
Step 1 – Put Everyone in the Right Role
Again, get the right people on the bus and make sure they are in the right
roles. This means that all talent acquisition and retention strategies have to
be aligned with meeting company goals.
Step 2 – Give Them the Training
No manager or leader can expect to build a culture of trust and

accountability — and much less improve engagement — without setting the
team up for success. This means providing the proper training and
development while removing obstacles.
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week.
Step 3 – Task Meaningful Work
Engaged employees are doing meaningful work and have a clear

understanding of how they contribute to the company’s mission, purpose
and strategic objectives. Again, this is why they first have to be placed in the
right role. I’ve made the mistake of hiring great talent just to get them in
the door – but didn’t have a clear career path or role for them. If you don’t
sort those details out quickly, they will leave.
Step 4 – Check in Often
The days of simply relying on mid-year reviews for providing feedback are
long gone. Today’s workforce craves regular feedback — which of course
leads to faster course correction and reduces waste. Use both formal and
informal check-in strategies — and use them every week.
Step 5 – Frequently Discuss Engagement
Successful managers are transparent in their approach to improving

engagement — they talk about it with their teams all the time. They hold
“state of engagement” meetings and “engage” everyone in the
discussion — and solutions.
Again, these principles are not complex, but must be prioritized.

Companies that get this right will drive greater financial returns, surpass
their competitors and easily climb to the top of “the best places to work”
lists.
So get on it!
Check out my website.

Brent Gleeson

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5 Powerful Steps To Improve

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 15% of

The current business environment, and the world in general, is moving

It is a common understanding of a vast majority of leaders that the

There are three types of employees in any organization:

Engaged (15% of the workforce). These employees are loyal and

Not Engaged (67% of the workforce). These employees can be difficult

Actively Disengaged (18% of the workforce). We have all worked

The Leader’s Role in Engagement

Leaders improve engagement by defining and communicating a powerful

The Manager’s Role in Engagement

In many of my articles, I dive deep in to the methodologies, tools and

70% of organizational transformation efforts fall significantly short of

Humans are emotional creatures — and most managers hold the

5 Powerful Steps to Improve Employee Engagement

How do managers know who is engaged? Their team members need to be

• I know what is expected of me and my work quality.

• I have the resources and training to thrive in my role.

• I have the opportunity to do what I do best – every day.

• I trust my manager and believe they have my best interests in mind.

• My voice is heard and valued.

• I clearly understand the mission and purpose and how I contribute to

• I have opportunities to learn and grow both personally and professionally.

All else then falls into place.

Step 1 – Put Everyone in the Right Role

Step 2 – Give Them the Training

No manager or leader can expect to build a culture of trust and

Subscribe To The Forbes Careers Newsletter

Engaged employees are doing meaningful work and have a clear

Step 4 – Check in Often

Step 5 – Frequently Discuss Engagement

Successful managers are transparent in their approach to improving

Again, these principles are not complex, but must be prioritized.

Check out my website.

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