Who Moves Your Organization Forward? Engaged vs Disengaged Employees

[Editor's Note: In 2016, I saw a startling statistic from Gallup. Of the employees in the largest 30,000 companies in the U.S., over 68% were disengaged - not connected to the objectives and goals of the organization. I was stunned, but over the years, I have come to realize that it is very true.

As companies struggle to attract and retain good employees I thought you might enjoy the following insights from Curt Coffman (author of "First Break All the Rules") about the differences between satisfied employees and engaged employees. Which type of employees do you have in your organization?           -dpm]

  

                                                         Who Moves Your Organization Forward?

Satisfied Employee	Engaged Employee
Lagging indicator as contribution to Shareholder Value	Leading indicator as contribution to Shareholder Value
Reactive -- "I do what I'm asked."	Proactive -- "I do what needs to be done - even if not directed to."
"That's how we do things here!"	"How can we do this better?"
"I work here"  "I do my job."	"I am part of the organization's fabric."     "I am not limited by a job description -     I want to make a broader contribution."
Short term focus (steps) "How should I do this?"	Long term focus (outcomes) "What result is required?"
Easy to manage -- "I go along to get along."	More difficult to manage - does more than required - pushes the boundaries
Seeks answers	Seeks results
Points out problems	Solves problems - prevents problems
Applies learning to a current situation	Applies learning to improve future situations
"What do you want me to do?"	"How can I help?" "What else can I do?"
Don't make waves - avoid conflict	Challenge the status quo - constructive conflict
Flies below the manager radar whenever possible	Demands relationship with manager
Powerless -- wait for direction	Powerful - act, then ask for forgiveness
Risk avoidant -- "I follow the rules."	Takes calculated risks -- "I bend rules as needed to achieve the required results."
"I try to do a good job."	"My work energizes me. I give it my best."

© 2006 Curt Coffman Consulting LLC, All rights reserved

"People are normally productive for about 5.7 hours in an eight-hour business day.  

But any time a change of control takes place;  

their productivity falls to less than an hour."

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