Applying Employee Engagement Theory To Volunteers:

Motivation, Meaningful Work, and Culture Matter

Lindsay Bousman, Ph.D.Presented at the Volunteer Administrators Network

ConferenceJune 22, 2011

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Today’s Program

• Intended Outcome and Benefit to you:– The ability for volunteer managers to learn and

apply the rich research on employee engagement and organizational culture to their own situations, creating deeper levels of engagement in their volunteers, better matching volunteers to work, resulting in higher quality work and retention of volunteers.

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Introductions: Who Are You?

• Raise hands if you now or in the past…– Managed paid employees– Managed Baby Boomers– Managed Generation X or Y– Worked in an organization larger than 100 people– Worked in an organization smaller than 100 people– Worked in an organization smaller than 50 people– Have knowledge of employee engagement– Have knowledge of organizational culture– Are challenged in how to motivate and engage employees or

volunteers• Verbal sample of where you work

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BASICS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

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Systems ModelAdaptation Coordination Outcomes

Environment

Strategy ClimateLeadership

People

Organization System

Business Results

Culture

70%

30-50%

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“Seismic Shifts” Impacting Volunteers

Family dynamics: From Father Knows Best to Gilmore Girls

Isolation: From community to individualism

Flexibility: From rigid scheduling to volunteer availability

Generations: From experienced veterans to Gen X and Y

Technology: From face-to-face to cyberspace

Professionalism: From skilled workers to knowledge workers

From: The New Breed: Understanding & Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer by J. McKee and T. W. McKee

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From Delegation to Empowerment

• Knowledge workers and volunteers want to feel empowered to make decisions, not just complete tasks or refer decisions upward

• As a manager, practice and develop good ‘hand off’ skills:– Keep them informed– Break down tasks to manageable goals– Ask for their ideas to solve a problem, then give them the

responsibility to do it and ‘own it’• From: Talk to me first and let me decide, then you execute it• To: Discuss it, tell them to execute it (with timeline), then tell you how it

went– Follow-up and give feedback

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Volunteers vs. Employees• The “New Breed” of volunteers are much like paid employees in

terms of motivation and skills.

• Volunteers and Employees:– Have many obligations and volunteers for multiple organizations– Want flexibility– Expect to be empowered– Won’t tolerate incompetent co-workers– Doesn’t want to be micromanaged– Want to be recognized for their talent and good work– Is tech savvy– Doesn’t just want to make a contribution, but wants to make a difference

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Generational Differences in Volunteers: Related to Life Stages

Boomers + Gen X/Later in Life• Professional, have experience• Lifetime learners• Volunteering to fulfill

passions, hobbies• Want to make a difference,

leave a legacy• Not afraid of commitment

when there is a payoff• Socially connected• Want flexibility

Gen Y + Millennials/Early in Life• Impatient (grew up with ‘on

demand’ and instant promotions in video games)

• Media multi-taskers• Think ‘digital’/jump to the end• Tolerant• Look for a cause/want to make a

difference• Can be team players, but also

are used to being isolated• Want to be led, not managed

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The Engagement Value Chain

High performance work environment

Employee engagement feelings

Employee engagement

behaviors

Tangible performance outcomes including enhanced productivity

Intangible assets:Customer satisfaction and loyalty,

Innovation, and Lower risk

Shareholder value

Business Case: Research with 65 firms in different industries shows that companies with more engaged employees have higher Return on Assets, higher Profitability, and higher Shareholder Value (measured by the ratio of the firm’s market value to the replacement cost of its assets)

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Working Definition of Engagement

Engagement is an individual’s sense of purpose and focused energy, evident to

others in the display of personal initiative, adaptability, effort, and persistence toward

organizational goals.

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Engagement vs. Satisfaction

•Requires a goal-directed energy•Adds levels of urgency, focus, and intensity•Is an on-going active state

Engagement

•Pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job and experiences.

•What the organization does for employees to feel good about being there.

•Fulfillment of needs, satiation, and contentment (and end-state).

Satisfaction

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The ‘Look’ and ‘Feel’ of EngagementFeeling Engaged

• Urgency- goal-directed determination

• Focus- concentration, immersion and absorption in work for a long period of time

• Intensity- depth of concentration using a full breadth of resources

• Enthusiasm- emotional state of feeling alive and passionate about our work

Looking Engaged to Others

• Persistence- effort over time• Proactivity- taking action when a

need is apparent, even anticipating or recognizing a need earlier

• Role Expansion- stepping outside role to help the business, increasing responsibilities or breadth, and accepting a new definition of your role

• Adaptability- anticipating and responding to changes in the competitive landscape, solving problems creatively, and using change to lead to more positive outcomes for all

However, there are organizational factors that enable employees to be engaged, it is a two-way/reciprocal system

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Creating High Performance Work Environments

Engagement follows when employees have…

The Capacity to Engage•They have the goal-

directed energy•Organizations give

them the information to do their jobs well, learning opportunities, and support

The Motivation to Engage•Jobs that are high on intrinsic

interest; challenging, meaningful, and offer opportunities for decision-making

•Specific and difficult goals•Work that aligns with their

values•Employees are treated in a

way that reinforces reciprocity

The Freedom to Engage•Freedom to take action

and not be punished•Employees will step-up

when they are trusted and treated fairly

•Fairness leads to trust, trust leads to feeling safe, and feeling safe leads to action

The Knowledge to know how to Engage•Employees see the direct

connection from their work to the organization’s goals and know what they should do to achieve them

•Processes need to be aligned with organizational goals

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Motivating VolunteersWhat is the core of volunteering for them? Are you matching their role to their interests and motivation?

• Self-serving, Relationships, or their core beliefs• Need for: Achievement, power, or affiliation

Are you giving feedback and recognizing great work? How?

• Timely, specific, and motivating• Mix of positive and constructive; more positive!• Use the right method for the right generation

Are you considering other aspects that influence motivation?

• Training: Can you send volunteers to conferences? Or host your own mini-conference when someone comes back from one? Can you provide on-the-job training?

• Availability and Connections: Are you available to answer questions and socialize with them? Is it fun?• Accountability: Are you holding them accountable?

Do you have special privileges or perks? Tangible incentives?

• Don’t ask volunteers to spend their own money• Give logo merchandise (travel coffee mugs, shirts, etc.)

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Meaningful Work

• As our country became more industrialized, the work became more repetitive, the meaning behind work changed, people became less connected to the work they did, and studying motivation increased

• Employees and volunteers are motivated by work that is personally meaningful to them:– Using their core skills, or specialized skills– Aligned with personal values– A personal connection to a mission or vision– A sense of community– Feeling fulfilled– Bringing their “whole self” to work

• Meaningful work is an “inclusive state of being”, part of our identity; how we express the meaning and purpose of our lives in the work (activities) that we choose to spend our waking hours doing

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Elements of Meaningful Work

•Bringing one’s whole self to work•Purpose in life and how work fits into it•Taking care of the self by taking care of others•Developing one’s potential•Having a positive belief system about achieving your purpose•Being in control•Meaningful learning

Sense of self

•Fulfilling your purpose•Mastering your performance•Seeking learning- challenge, creativity, continual growth•Pursuing the opportunity to carry out your purpose•Having autonomy, empowerment, and sense of control over the environmentWork itself

•Balancing work and rest of life•Balancing career and rest of life•Managing the tensionsBalance of

sense of self and work

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Meaningful Workplaces

• How do you make the workplace meaningful for everyone?– Values-based culture that treats everyone with value (stakeholders,

clients, volunteers, employees, etc.).• If you treat volunteers as if they make a difference to the organization, then

they will make a difference– Socially responsible and diverse– Focus on engagement and commitment– The workplace is a community– Focusing on the interconnected relationships:

• Relationship between employees/volunteers and management• Relationship between employees/volunteers, their jobs, and the organization• Relationship between employees/volunteers and other

employees/volunteers

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Your Turn: How Meaningful is Your Work?How Meaningful is Your Workplace?

• Examples from attendees• What is working for you?• What is NOT working for you?• Based on the definition of Meaningful Work, WHY isn’t it working?• Have you talked about your volunteer’s values and strengths with

them? Do they know how to describe their ‘purpose’ to you? Do you know how to match both to the jobs or responsibilities they have?

• What can you do differently to make the workplace more conducive to meaningful work for everyone?

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Bringing Engagement and Meaningful Work Together

• Having meaningful work is a precursor to high engagement• Aspects of meaningful work also contribute to engagement:

– Work aligned with values– Control and autonomy– Empowerment

• The culture needs to be supportive and nurturing as a meaningful workplace

• What is culture? How do you know if the culture is enabling your mission, and employees and volunteers to thrive?

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CULTURE AND ENGAGEMENT

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What is Organizational Culture?

The sense of what beliefs are in the organization, the norms, the values, and ‘the way we work around here’

Unspoken rules about ‘what’s it like to work here’ and ‘how we do it’

Evidenced by how people are treated within the organization and by what the organization values in terms of where they want people direct their energy

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The Key: An Engagement Culture

• Requires investment from the organization– First, basics covered to meet ‘satisfaction’ bar (pay and benefits, safety)– Then, managerial and supervisory training to create and earn trust to

start the engagement chain• Requires creating and sustaining a culture where engagement is

the norm, attracts people who will succeed there, ensuring leadership is focused, goals are aligned, employees perform, and more resources can be invested back in the people- creating a positive cycle

• Engagement happens when the culture supports it, when people feel safe to take action on their own initiative, and when the organization aligns its culture with the attainment of its goals

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Culture is Created By…

What leaders pay attention to and measure The bases leaders use for determining how to allocate

resources The behaviors leaders model for others The bases leaders use to recruit, select, develop, and fire

people The way the organization is structured The rituals and rites that characterize the organization The myths and stories told about the organization The focus of the systems and processes

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How is it done?If Culture is Created By…• What leaders pay attention to

and measure• The bases leaders use for

determining how to allocate resources• The behaviors leaders model for

others• The bases leaders use to recruit,

select, develop, and fire people• The way the organization is

structured• The rituals and rites that

characterize the organization• The myths and stories told about

the organization• The focus of the systems and

processes

Then how do you influence Engagement?• Leaders must pay attention to and measure the way they value

their people- loyalty recognition, development programs, and anything else that demonstrates people are an asset

• Leaders must allocate resources that support engagement- though jobs that are designed to be challenging and autonomous, providing training that promotes success, giving specific and achievable goals that align with the organization’s goals, and giving positive feedback

• Leaders must model the key behaviors of trust- open communication and fairness

• The systems in place should include employee input and are fair• The organization is relatively flat, employees are empowered to

approach one another and to take action• Rituals and rites promote involvement, celebrations, risk-taking,

and innovation• Employees are encouraged to talk about and share stories about

how belonging to the organization is important to them, how they support one another and customers too.

• Systems and processes promote accomplishment of desired outcomes

• On-boarding programs thoroughly introduce the company to employees and start the cultural orientation

• Managers that are more agreeable, conscientious, and emotionally stable promote a culture of fairness which is necessary for trust

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WHAT CAN YOU DO?

BEST PRACTICES AND IDEA SHARING

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Interventions That Work• Talk to volunteers about their desires, values, and strengths• Match them to the right responsibilities• Build the meaningful work environment

To Impact Meaningful Work

• Provide experiences that increase their chances of success• Provide complete information to employees• Provide opportunities to learn, and to fail and bounce back• Provide time for updating and training• Provide performance feedback

To Build Confidence and Resiliency

• Provide many opportunities (meetings, training, informal gatherings, team projects) to facilitate the establishment of social support networks

• Encourage participation in available networks

To Build Social Support Networks

• Provide opportunities for balance in employees’ lives; do not expect continual engagement as such engagement can have a ‘dark side’

• Leaders model balance for others

To Renew or Restore Employee Energy

• Provide jobs that effectively use people’s skills• Provide jobs and a culture that fit employees’ values• Implement effective on-boarding programs• Provide jobs that permit autonomy of action and choice

To Enhance the Motivation to Engage

• Through trust and fairness from supervisors and ‘the system’• Repair trust if the ‘emotional bank of trust’ has been depleted through fair processes,

fair outcomes, and fair interactions with subordinates and co-workers

To Enhance the Freedom to Engage

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Engaging Different Life StagesBoomers + Gen X/Later in Life

• Professional, have experience– Ask about their strengths

• Lifetime learners– Encourage them to build new skills

• Volunteering to fulfill passions, hobbies• Want to make a difference, leave a legacy

– Connect their work to the mission of the organization

• Not afraid of commitment when there is a payoff– Make sure the tasks are fulfilling enough to

get them to return• Socially connected

– Give them opportunities to bring in their connections

• Want flexibility– Ask about their schedules

Gen Y + Millennials/Early in Life• Impatient (grew up with ‘on demand’ and instant

promotions in video games)– Give increasingly more responsibilities in shorter

periods of time• Media multi-taskers

– Be tolerant of them doing many things at once and using technology to do it

• Think ‘digital’/jump to the end– Tell them ‘why’ first– Use dynamic and media-based training

• Tolerant– Give opportunities to work with varieties of people

• Look for a cause/want to make a difference– Connect their work to the mission

• Can be team players, but also are used to being isolated– Give them opportunities to get to know others

• Want to be led, not managed– Be inspirational and earn their trust and respect

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Your Turn: How do you engage volunteers?

• Examples from attendees• What is working?• What is NOT working?• Based on the definitions of Engagement,

Meaningful Work and Culture, WHY isn’t it working?

• What can you do differently?

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Recommended Reading

• Employee Engagement: Tools for Analysis, Practice, and Competitive Advantage by W.H. Macey, B. Schneider, K.M. Barbera, and S. A. Young

• Organizational Culture and Leadership by Edgar Schein

• Meaningful Workplaces: Reframing How and Where We Work by N. Chalofsky

• The New Breed: Understanding & Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer by J. McKee and T. W. McKee

• Boomer Volunteer Engagement: Collaborate Today, Thrive Tomorrow by J.F. Fixler & S, Eichberg

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Online Resources

• www.energizeinc.com – Volunteer management

• www.serviceleader.org – Volunteer managers and special section on

virtual volunteers• www.volunteerpower.com– Volunteer management and aligns with book

“The New Breed”• www.TheSource4YM.com– For youth volunteers

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THANK YOU!

FOR MORE INFORMATION…

If you have questions or would like to discuss our services, please contact us:

info@parisphoenixgroup.com lbousman@parisphoenixgroup.com

Whitepapers and case studies are available online.

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ENGAGEMENT SURVEYSAppendix

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Diagnostics and the Engagement Survey

Framework for Diagnosing Engagement

Does leadership understand the leverage points

for creating competitive advantage

through employee

engagement?

Do employees know what the strategic focus

of their engagement should be?

Do employees have the

intellectual, social, and

psychological capital to engage?

Do they have a reason to change?

Do people feel safe and free to

engage?

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Diagnostics and the Engagement Survey

• Building an engaged workforce entails more than just implementing an engagement survey– A well-designed survey is a critical tool, but it is

what is done with the results that matters to impact engagement

• A well-designed survey is a first step, which leads to active Interventions– Successful interventions will elicit behavior

change, which can be uncomfortable

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Pre-Survey Steps

1. Conduct the background check and acquire the “language”

2. Engage leadership to define strategic engagement and the supporting culture

3. Write the engagement messaging

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The Engagement Survey

Satisfaction

Job Security

Benefits

Opportunity for a Better

Job

Engagement

Using My Skills

Alignment of work and

company goals

Encouragement to Innovate

• Though not comprehensive, the diagram below illustrates that what drives satisfaction versus engagement is different, so measuring engagement is different from measuring satisfaction.•While traditional satisfaction questions may still be important to ask and act upon,

an engagement survey (or part of the survey) will be deeper.•Drivers analyses can be applied to the results of a survey to uncover the specific

drivers of engagement in a particular organization which can be targeted for improvement.

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The Engagement Survey

• Questions should cover:– Behavioral engagement and be relative to the

strategy– General engagement such as being proactive,

persistent, expanding roles, and adaptability– Creating the employee’s capacity to engage including

sources of energy, resources, and social support– If people have a reason to engage– If people feel ‘free’ to engage

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Post-Survey: Action Planning

• Consider benchmark data (internal and external) and its relationship to your organization

• Roll-out results differently for different audiences (Executives, Managers, Employees and Volunteers), but be consistent in communicating that the action plans and interventions are what matters and get commitment for action from each group

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How Paris Phoenix Group Can Help

Engagement Surveys and Focus Groups

Culture Diagnostics

Leadership Assessments Action Planning Tools and Interventions

Employee Engagement

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FOR MORE INFORMATION…

If you have questions or would like to discuss our services, please contact us: info@parisphoenixgroup.com

Whitepapers and case studies are available online.

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All Downloadable

Online

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Overview of Paris Phoenix Group• Vision– PPG uses a rigorous, research-based, custom, and

holistic approach to helping clients and provides solutions that help them achieve their business strategy

• Strategy– We achieve our vision by working on projects that

ensure we use our KSAs, working on challenging/ important/holistic projects, developing ourselves, having fun, and being challenged

…while having a life

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Who Am I? Lindsay Bousman, Ph.D.

Lindsay Bousman has extensive experience with employee research and focus groups, competency development, validation, and talent management, most recently for Starbucks Coffee Company, and prior to that for Microsoft Corporation. She has consulted on career model and competency development and validation, conducted global all-employee surveys for both Starbucks and Microsoft, culture surveys and assessments, exit survey programs and analyses, developed training evaluation materials and provided custom research services internally for local corporations.Prior to her Northwest professional career, she worked in the Midwest as an independent consultant providing project support and statistical analyses, developing selection tests and assessments, and worked as a compensation analyst in Human Resources for Central States Health and Life Company of Omaha.

She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Nebraska, an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a B.A. in Psychology at William Woods University.

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