1

Nicholas J Higgins CEO, VaLUENTiS & Dean, Int’l School of HCM

DrHCMI MSc Fin (LBS) MBA (OBS) MCMI WTG HR Webinar 17 May 2012

A full audio version of this webinar can be downloaded for free from:

http://www.wtg-ondemand.com/detail_webinar.asp?spcomp=359

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A full audio version of this webinar can be downloaded for free from:

http://www.wtg-ondemand.com/detail_webinar.asp?spcomp=359

All rights reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming recording or otherwise without the express permission of the author.

Please e-mail nicholas.higgins@valuentis.com regarding any matters of reproduction.

© 2012

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@ £9,000 per annum (see end)

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1. The ‘Six Pillars’ for successful employee engagement

2. The ‘EE100’

3. An outcome based ‘EE definition’ (ACP)

4. The ‘P12’ (modes of productivity)

5. The ‘EESoF’ concept

6. The ‘A-C’ Matrix (3 x 3) (a.k.a. ‘αβγ’ matrix)

7. The VaLUENTiS 5D EE model

8. The ‘POP’ system model

9. The ‘Management Pathfinder’ (HCM15)

10. The ‘esE’ model (2 x 2)

11. Question-Statement (QS) typology design (or ‘how not to design’)

12. The ‘Sears model’ (1994)

13. The VaLUENTiS EE-scenario model example (2008)

14. The ‘EE playbook’

15. The ‘Broken Windows Hypothesis’ reapplied

16. The ‘4-ball’ Organisation Practice model

Models/Frameworks/Concepts used in the presentation

(‘Deal with the Real’)

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1. The term ‘employee engagement’ is used too broadly and inappropriately in too many cases (BE WARY)

2. Optimising employee engagement (as defined) is a continual, relentless challenge (BE READY)

3. There’s no ‘silver bullet’, ‘wave of the magic wand’, nor, for that matter, a ‘silver magic wand-bullet’ to improving employee engagement (BE REAL)

4. With employee engagement, measurement/evaluation is fundamental (BE SMART)

5. The responsibility for employee engagement lies with everybody in the organisation (BE MINDFUL)

6. Organisations can only achieve high levels of employee engagement by doing the ‘basics’ constantly (and well) (BE RESILIENT)

7. The people expertise (‘the right stuff’) of line management is the single biggest factor (BE IN NO DOUBT)

8. The relationship between employee engagement and organisation performance is NOT linear, nor is it straightforward (BE OPEN-MINDED)

9. Most organisations have a disjointed or incomplete approach to employee engagement (BE ADVISED)

10. There are very few reported (if it all) cases of successful organisations with high employee engagement and high organisation performance over a period of time (in evidence-based terms) (BE CRITICAL)

Employee Engagement ‘Starters for 10’

(to be or not…)

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• Grounded understanding of EE

• Working definition of EE

• Measurement wisdom

• Actioning infrastructure

• Dynamic EE-Performance ‘playbook’

• Competent leadership/management

‘Six pillars’ for successful employee engagement

© The Definitive Guide to Employee Engagement, Nicholas J Higgins & G Cohen, 2012, forthcoming

DELETE

EE PLAYBOOK

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I

Grounded understanding of employee engagement

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“Question: Employee Engagement - Where do you start?”

“Answer: At the beginning”

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Source: Question posed in VaLUENTiS ‘skunkworks’ output 2003

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“Organisations were looking for a quick-win means of improving performance”

“Organisations were looking for a means to differentiate for hiring talent in PR terms”

1

2

3

Source: Question posed in VaLUENTiS ‘skunkworks’ output 2003 11

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• Embed an optimised people-productivity culture

• Attempt to mitigate against operational employment risk

• Means to collectively ‘evaluate’ line management ‘competence’ /organisational HCM

• Provide benchmark data on the ‘soft’ area of operations (quasi-audit)

• Provide rationale and objective focus for management development programmes

• Means of providing intelligence and/or empirical evidence used in conjunction with other organisation performance data

Second order (derivative)

rationale/spin-offs Source: Question posed in VaLUENTiS ‘skunkworks’ output 2003 12

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1a Primary rationale

‘say/do/evidence’ exercise

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1b Secondary rationale

‘say/do/evidence’ exercise

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WEBINAR POLL 1

With regard to employee engagement, my organisation is looking…

(select one only)

…for a means of improving performance

…for a means to differentiate hiring talent in PR terms

…to embed an optimised people-productivity culture

…to mitigate against operational employment risk

…for a means to collectively ‘evaluate’ line management ‘competence’

…to provide benchmark data on the ‘soft’ area of operations

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Source: Follow-on question posed in VaLUENTiS ‘skunkworks’ 2003

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“There is nothing so practical as a

good theory.”

Kurt Lewin

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The concept of Employee Engagement: A synthesis of antecedent theories and empirical evidence with human capital

management practice related to organisation performance – 100 years in the making

Source: The antecedents of Employee Engagement, Nicholas J Higgins - VaLUENTiS technical paper 2003

Wider Group

Immediate Team

Organisation Individual

•Motivation theory

•Goal setting and task theory

•Equity (justice) theory

•Group theory

•Trust theory

•Trait theory

•Fayol - Principles of management

•Taylor - Scientific management

•Expectancy theory

•Commitment theory

•Teams theory

•Conflict theory

•Needs theory

•Organisation performance & measurement*

•Social cognitive/ self efficacy theory

Human Capital Management practice/systems:

•Cognitive dissonance

•Wellbeing/Burnout

•Job satisfaction

•Organisation Citizenship Behaviour

•Learning theory

•McGregor Theory X/Y

•Behaviourism

•Training & Development

•Performance management

•Reward & recognition

•Resourcing & selection

•Organisation communication

•Talent management

•Leadership

•Organisation culture

•Employer brand

•Human capital retention

•Organisation design

•Decision-making theory

•Emotional Intelligence

•Workforce diversity

•Mayo/Hawthorne studies

•Tavistock – Socio-technical systems

•Lewin (MIT) - group dynamics/behaviour

•Psychological contract

•Leadership theory

•Organisational ‘fit’ theory

•Other I/O psychology contributions

•High performance work systems

•Munsterberg - Industrial psychology

•Follett - Management relations/integration

•Hertzberg – Two factor theory

•Drucker – Practice of management

•Kahn – Personal engagement

•Likert – Management system/measurement scale

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II

Working definition of employee engagement

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“Vision without execution is

hallucination.”

Thomas Edison

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“Employee engagement is an ‘outcome-based’ concept.

It is the term used to describe the degree to which employees can be ascribed as ‘aligned’ and ‘committed’ to an organisation such that they are at their most productive.” VaLUENTiS International School of HCM

2005

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‘Most productive’ meaning individuals are…

More likely to embrace set

values

More likely to produce higher grade/quality of

work (less errors)

More likely to be flexible to

organisation needs (if equitable)

Less likely to suffer stress

(but more likely to suffer burn-out)

More likely to achieve goals set

More likely to ‘own’ their development

More inclined to input into ideas/

innovation

More likely to give discretionary effort above contractual

obligations

Less likely to move employer

Less likely to commit

fraud/sabotage

Less inclined to take days off

More inclined to share knowledge

Known as the ‘P12 modes of productivity’…

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Employee engagement as a sum of constant work ‘forces’ (EESoF model) illustrative vectors

interpersonal conflict

incentive misalignment

perceived reward inequity short-staffed

uncaring new boss

poorly communicated reorganisation

enlarged role

planned training

cancelled

Well-received performance appraisal hit personal

targets/ objectives

hit team targets/ objectives

salary increase

enrolled on MD programme

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25

Knows what to do/achieve

but unlikely to achieve it

More likely to have

performance/ capability issues

Likely to have performance,

attitudinal and/or

behavioural issues

Could do more

Job gets done

More likely to have objective

and/or ‘potential’ issues

Fully productive

Less than optimally

productive - Could do more

‘well’

High probability of wasted effort/

frustration

Individual’s degree of Alignment

Degree of Commitment

Affective Continuance

Incongruent

Fully congruent

Staff engagement: The challenge for organisations (The A-C Matrix)

“Only one box in nine reflects the constant ‘high bar’ challenge for organisations in optimising engagement across the workforce on a daily basis”

© VaLUENTiS Ltd 2002-12 25

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Knows what to do/achieve

but unlikely to achieve it

More likely to have

performance/ capability issues

Likely to have performance,

attitudinal and/or

behavioural issues

Could do more

Job gets done

More likely to have objective

and/or ‘potential’ issues

Fully productive

Less than optimally

productive - Could do more

‘well’

High probability of wasted effort/

frustration

Individual’s degree of Alignment

Degree of Commitment

Affective Continuance

Incongruent

Fully congruent

Staff engagement: The challenge for organisations (The A-C Matrix)

“Typical split”

15%

10%

10%

5% 15%

25% 10%

5% 5%

26 © VaLUENTiS Ltd 2002-12

27 © VaLUENTiS Ltd

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Objectives awareness

Behaviour alignment

Role ‘fit’

Performance management

Feedback

Capability

Line-of-Sight

Cultural elements

Team dynamics

Communication

Resources

Local management

Physical environment

Work Environment

VaLUENTiS 5D Employee Engagement Framework

Remuneration equity

Bonus/incentives

Benefits

Role equity

Recognition

Promotional aspects

Reward (equity) Development

Career progression

Competencies

Succession planning

Job/ Role architecture

Training/ Learning

Coaching/ Mentoring

Organisation design Performance/talent

management ‘Corporate’ Leadership

Communication Decision rights Work values

Trust

© VaLUENTiS Ltd 2002-12

Organisation operating

culture

Using a construct like the 5D (expanded)

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Think back to the EE box with the ‘underground map’ at the beginning…..

The five domains plus the connected organisation performance aspect can be thought of as six sides of the cube with their connections resembling that similar to an underground map

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2 Organisation approach to defining

employee engagement exercise

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WEBINAR POLL 2

With regard to defining/adopting employee engagement, in my organisation…

(select one only)

…We researched a selection of empirical theories and distilled the essence into our definition through a structured process

…We based our definition/understanding on one base theory but no structured process followed

…We adopted a definition ‘off- the-shelf’ that fits our view having gone through a structured process

…We adopted a definition ‘off- the-shelf’ that fits our view but have not used a structured process

…Not sure what process we followed

…Don’t know/Haven’t done an exercise yet

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III

Measurement wisdom

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“If you cannot measure it, you cannot

improve it.”

Lord Kelvin

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The traditional view of employee engagement

contributing to improved organisational

performance...

Higher employee

engagement

Higher productivity

Higher organisation performance

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35

Human capital management practice and

employee engagement contributing to improved

organisational performance (‘POP’ system)

Higher employee

engagement

Higher productivity

Higher organisation performance

More effective human capital management

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However, remember the converse.....

Lower employee

engagement

Lower productivity

Lower organisation performance

More ineffective human capital management

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Objectives awareness

Behaviour alignment

Role ‘fit’

Performance management

Feedback

Capability

Line-of-Sight

Cultural elements

Team dynamics

Communication

Resources

Local management

Physical environment

Work Environment

VaLUENTiS 5D Employee Engagement Framework

Remuneration equity

Bonus/incentives

Benefits

Role equity

Recognition

Promotional aspects

Reward (equity) Development

Career progression

Competencies

Succession planning

Job/ Role architecture

Training/ Learning

Coaching/ Mentoring

Organisation design Performance/talent

management ‘Corporate’ Leadership

Communication Decision rights Work values

Trust

© VaLUENTiS Ltd 2002-12

Organisation operating

culture

Using a construct like the 5D (expanded)

38 38

The concept of Employee Engagement: A synthesis of antecedent theories and empirical evidence with human capital

management practice related to organisation performance – 100 years in the making

Source: The antecedents of Employee Engagement, Nicholas J Higgins - VaLUENTiS technical paper 2003

Wider Group

Immediate Team

Organisation Individual

•Motivation theory

•Goal setting and task theory

•Equity (justice) theory

•Group theory

•Trust theory

•Trait theory

•Fayol - Principles of management

•Taylor - Scientific management

•Expectancy theory

•Commitment theory

•Teams theory

•Conflict theory

•Needs theory

•Organisation performance & measurement*

•Social cognitive/ self efficacy theory

Human Capital Management practice/systems:

•Cognitive dissonance

•Wellbeing/Burnout

•Job satisfaction

•Organisation Citizenship Behaviour

•Learning theory

•McGregor Theory X/Y

•Behaviourism

•Training & Development

•Performance management

•Reward & recognition

•Resourcing & selection

•Organisation communication

•Talent management

•Leadership

•Organisation culture

•Employer brand

•Human capital retention

•Organisation design

•Decision-making theory

•Emotional Intelligence

•Workforce diversity

•Mayo/Hawthorne studies

•Tavistock – Socio-technical systems

•Lewin (MIT) - group dynamics/behaviour

•Psychological contract

•Leadership theory

•Organisational ‘fit’ theory

•Other I/O psychology contributions

•High performance work systems

•Munsterberg - Industrial psychology

•Follett - Management relations/integration

•Hertzberg – Two factor theory

•Drucker – Practice of management

•Kahn – Personal engagement

•Likert – Management system/measurement scale

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DIVERSITY

EMPLOYEE CENTRICITY

EMPLOYER BRAND

HR GOVERNANCE

HR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

LEADERSHIP

ORGANISATION CLIMATE ORGANISATION

COMMUNICATIONS

ORGANISATION DESIGN

PERFORMANCE ORIENTATION

RESOURCING

RETENTION

REWARD

TALENT MANAGEMENT

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

796

813

742

674

615

431

487

642

628 594 603

684

657 599 416

‘Out-performing’ (world class)

‘Out-performing’ (peer)

‘Comparable’ (peer)

‘Under-performing’ (peer)

VaLUENTiS VB-HR Rating Level 2: Management Pathfinder

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40 40

Survey instrument design & measurement expertise

HC

M s

ub

ject

mat

ter

exp

erti

se

Myopic

Result: misleading or erroneous

interpretation

20/20 Foresight

Result: organisation has sufficient in-depth, robust

knowledge to act upon

Unfocused

Limited insight due to limitations of HCM knowledge

Blind

Result: end up with ‘garbage in-garbage out’ syndrome

HIGH

LOW HIGH © ISHCM 2006

The employee survey expertise model

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Survey instrument design & measurement expertise

HC

M s

ub

ject

mat

ter

exp

erti

se

Myopic

20/20 Foresight

Unfocused

Blind

HIGH

LOW

16%

25% 51%

8%

Sample: 147 employee surveys. All organisations with over 750 employees. ISHCM research team. Study carried out 2006-7

The employee survey expertise model

(‘reality at the front’)

HIGH 41

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I. Leading questions

II. Double barrelled/multiple questions

III. Knowledge or projection (proxy)

IV. Response extremity

V. Responses open to social desirability/prestige

VI. Responses implying causality

VII. Questions that impose unwarranted assumptions

VIII. Questions that include hidden contingencies

IX. Questions that include ambiguous time periods

X. Questions containing concepts that are open to differing interpretation

XI. Question that duplicates another or is a reverse of another

XII. Questions requiring a tendency to acquiesce and/or imply ‘psychological threat or hostility

XIII. Questions that are exclusively positively or exclusively negatively clustered

XIV. Questions which are culturally loaded and or overly long

X-axis: (part example) Q-S design error typology for reference purposes

Source: VaLUENTiS QS methodology 2003 42

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3 Parameter ‘say/do/evidence’ exercise

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4 Employee Engagement construct

parameters exercise

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• Consider an organisation that prepares its accounts but doesn’t know how to measure its profit (or loss)….

• Would you consider this organisation to be

a. Competent?

b. Incompetent?

• I know of no case studies detailing such a chronic failure.

• Now consider organisations who conduct employee surveys but have no idea of what they’re actually measuring, particularly ‘engagement’….

• Would you consider these organisations to be

a. Competent?

b. Incompetent?

• I have witnessed many cases.

Before we move on….…

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A look back at The original Sears ‘system’ model…

Internal

service

quality

Employee

Satisfaction

External

Service

Value

Customer

Satisfaction

Customer

Loyalty

Revenue

Growth

Profitability

Employee

Retention

Employee

Productivity

Putting the Service-Profit chain to work Heskett, Jones, Loveman, Sasser Jr & Schlesinger Harvard Business Review Mar-Apr 1994

48 © VaLUENTiS VBM Analytics methodology 2008-12

Human Capital

Practices

Human Capital

Practices External

Value

Proposition

External

Value

Proposition

Customer Satisfaction

Patient Satisfaction

Customer Loyalty

Patient

experience

Revenue Growth

Quality of services

Profitability Use of Resources

Employee Retention

Staff Retention

Individual/ team

Productivity

Individual/ team

Productivity

‘ Local’ Management

‘ Local’ Management

Cost control Cost control

Compliance Compliance

Portfolio mix Safety

X - selling Clinical treatment

Service Patient focus

Work values Work values

Line - of - sight Line - of - sight

Development Development

Reward Reward

Work environment Work environment

Employee Engagement

Staff Engagement

Leadership &

governance

Leadership &

governance

Shareholder value

Trust

performance Employer brand

Employer brand

Portfolio mix Prompt service

X - selling Environment

Service Community

Example ‘Macro’ model NHS version 1.20

Moving on from the Sears model…the EE

scenario analytic models

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Moving on from the Sears model… The EE operational model ‘data cube’

50

The EE organisational model ‘data

megacube’

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IV

Actioning Infrastructure

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“Face reality as it is, not as it was,

or as you wish it to be.”

Jack Welch

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Employee Engagement - Actioning Infrastructure

4

3

1

2

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1. Supportive top leadership and ‘signalling’

2. ‘Interactive’ People management evaluation process map

3. Multi-survey mapping and planning overlay (x-connect)

4. EE related development /learning programmes & workshops

5. People Manager evaluation/appraisal (regular ‘practice runs’)

6. Defined ‘how to’ strategies around engagement elements

7. ‘Live’ Employee Engagement adapted QFD (‘House of Quality’)

8. Dedicated internal focus team or nominated ‘on-point’ person

9. Nominated People Manager Engagement champions

10.Organisation event logs

11.Links into wider organisation intelligence analytics

12.Wider communications/branding

Actioning Infrastructure

(Purpose: ‘to embed’)

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Mu

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aria

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is

Mu

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aria

te p

has

e an

alys

is

Mu

ltiv

aria

te p

has

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alys

is

Annual staff survey across full Trust

population (census)

Quarterly ‘pulse’ sample surveys

Quarterly ‘pulse’ sample surveys

Quarterly ‘pulse’ sample surveys

Annual staff survey across full Trust

population ......

Sample for macro DoH

research

Sample for macro DoH

research

Normally conducted in 2-week windows against selected samples

Quarterly patient ‘pulse’

reporting

Quarterly patient ‘pulse’

reporting

Quarterly patient ‘pulse’

reporting

......

Continuous collection of patient feedback reported in quarterly ‘pulses’

Sample for macro DoH feedback *

Quarterly patient ‘pulse’

reporting

Quarterly patient ‘pulse’

reporting

Sample for macro DoH feedback

Synchronous phase reporting to assist in improving care/embedding engagement in Trusts linking to clinical, quality, management and financial outcomes - see VaLUENTiS NHS Floodlight System™

for example

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is

Mu

ltiv

aria

te p

has

e an

alys

is

Source: Conducting staff and patient surveys in the NHS: A world class solution, VaLUENTiS white paper

Example from the field: Continuous NHS staff and patient survey process (The PULSAR® design)

*Can be selected at any nominated point

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V

Dynamic EE-Performance ‘playbook’

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The ‘Definitive EE’ Playbook

Incentives

Performance appraisal

Goal alignment Team development

Role design

Managing conflict

Leadership

Work environment

P

E

R

F

O

R

M

A

N

C

E

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58 M

od

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Stra

tegi

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Imp

lem

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tio

n

Lear

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Contents

1. Engagement strategies

2. Engagement operating ‘system’ models and analytics templates

3. Question-statement selection and construct design

4. Measurement index construction, maintenance and reporting

5. Engagement Driver Factor (EDF) analysis

6. Engagement ‘forcefield’ analysis

7. EE project management methodology and flowcharts

8. Engagement ‘issue work-through’ tools

9. Management learning programme design and evaluative criteria

10. Engagement Transformation Programme (ETP) methodology

11. Core applied theory summary capsules

12. Human Capital Management framework

EE playbook 4

EE playbook content

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5 Employee Engagement: Organisation

reality exercise

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VI

Competent leadership/ management

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“Management is doing things right. Leadership is

doing the right things”

Peter Drucker

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Engagement responses: ‘The Good The OK and

The Ugly’ •Work and sense of personal accomplishment •Pride in working for the organisation •Opportunity to utilise skills •Adequate training to perform the job •Personal values/company values aligned •Honesty and integrity in business activities •Accurate evaluation of performance in last appraisal

•Company doing a good job in providing opportunities for advancement •Well-being of employees when management make important decisions •Senior management in touch with everyday issues •Equity of being paid compared with others in other companies who hold similar jobs •Clear communication of rationale behind promotion and career development

•Physical working environment •Adequate resources to work effectively •Company values visible in the day-to-day activities of my team •Receiving recognition for doing a good job •Understanding how to get promoted •Equity of being paid compared with others in organisation

Scoring high

Scoring midrange

Scoring low

Source: VaLUENTiS Engagement database, collated since 2004

Please note: Actual Question-statements paraphrased for the purposes of this slide 62

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• Managers are significantly under-qualified compared to other professional occupations: 41%

of managers hold below a Level 2 qualification…….

• …..Just 38.5% of managers and senior officials are qualified at level 4 and above, compared to 80.9% of those in other professional occupations.”

• “It is estimated that the proportion of managers with management-related qualifications will not get much above 20 per cent in the longer term at the current rate of achievement……..

• ….. The literature review revealed that there is a growing body of evidence showing the impact of not only management skills but management qualifications on productivity.”

Source: The Value of Management Qualifications, Chartered Management Institute 2007

Management – just how many have a ‘license’ to manage....?

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• “According to the CIPD’s research1, 72% of employers report a deficit of leadership and management skills. However, the CIPD’s quarterly Employee Outlook survey of 2,000 employees, released today, also suggests that one problem in tackling this skills deficit is that many managers don’t know how bad they are at managing people.”

• “Eight out of ten managers say they think their staff are satisfied or very satisfied with them

as a manager whereas just 58% of employees report this is the case. This ‘reality gap’ matters as the survey finds a very clear link between employees who say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their manager and those that are engaged – i.e. willing to go the extra mile for their employer.”

Source: Press release, Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development May 2012 1CIPD/Cornerstone ‘Learning & Talent Development Survey 2012’

Leadership & Management ‘reality gap’ – hot off the press....(confirming what is already known)

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65

‘Line Management’ engagement score by percentile

910

860

813

790

760

Management cadre sample 2010-11 Sample size: 1400 managers representing 20,000 employees

Score range 200-1000 Source: VaLUENTiS Engagement database 65

66

‘Line Management’ engagement scores ‘bell curve’

Management cadre sample 2010-11 Sample size: 1400 managers

(employee population: 20,000) Score range 200-1000

Source: VaLUENTiS Engagement database

14.5% below 1sd 13.9% above 1sd

738 1000 200

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The theory states that monitoring and maintaining urban environments in a well-ordered condition may stop further vandalism as well as an escalation into more serious crime.

The theory states that monitoring and maintaining work environments in a well-ordered management condition may stop further engagement erosion as well as an escalation into more serious disengagement issues.

Applied to engagement…

The ‘Broken Windows’ hypothesis

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Employee Engagement: Good people managers versus average managers......

...Good managers High probability of:

1. Being self-aware (score well on EI)

2. Treating staff as the organisation’s ,not their own ‘little army’

3. Being pro-active, forward looking and confident no matter the situation

4. Being knowledgeable of (successful) people-management approaches

5. Understanding the importance of clear one-to-one communication and being consistent

6. Getting results but not at the expense (or over-reliance on good performers)

7. Making tough calls when required for the benefit of the team

8. Don’t postpone/move important events such as individual reviews/appraisals etc

9. Understanding that most managerial decision-making is about equity in people situations/issues

10. Taking a natural interest in people development above the mandatory level

11. Challenging team performance in different ways

12. View management role as a ‘privilege’, not a right

...Average/poor managers High probability/tendency of:

1. Limited self-awareness

2. Treating staff as their own resource rather than organisation’s

3. Being reactive, backward-looking and/or display uncertainty on too many occasions

4. Being limited in their understanding of people management

5. Their communication too often being seen as vague or inconsistent when interacting with staff

6. Get results but tend to have higher absenteeism or turnover of staff

7. Deferring tough calls, preferring to political expediency even at the expense of others

8. History of postponing or procrastinating on individual events such as individual reviews/appraisals

9. Limited awareness of or disregard the equity principle when making managerial decisions

10. Show little interest in individual development save for mandatory skill requirements

11. See team management as a ‘chore’

12. View management role as a ‘right’, not a privilege 68

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The ‘people competency’ of line management – the organisation view......

...common problems • Lack of understanding across managers as to

what good people management is and its impact

• Varied mix of line managers with variation in people practice and resulting issues

• No set bar to becoming line ‘people manager’, i.e. no ‘license to manage’

• Too many ‘B’-players in managerial positions who limit employee engagement potential

• Too often, HR as ‘personnel function’ compensates for deficiencies

...’fixes’ • Clear communicated framework of good people

management practice together with learning exposure

• Utilise management competency platform with structured programme of learning and assessments

• Adopt ‘license to manage’ standard with appropriate hurdles and gradings

• Instigate talent assessment where necessary, with career option route-paths including exit

• Assess if issue relates to cultural expectations, vague HR role definition/value proposition or all three, in conjunction with above actions

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6 Management fix-implementation exercise

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WEBINAR POLL 3

In my organisation, there is… (select those appropriate)

…a lack of understanding across managers as to what good people management is and its impact

…a varied mix of line managers with variation in people practice and resulting issues

…No set bar to becoming line ‘people manager’, i.e. no ‘license to manage’

…Too many ‘B’-players in managerial positions who limit employee engagement potential

…NO problem with people management expertise across our cohort of managers

…no comment due to lack of information/insight

72

Postscript

73

“Things should be made as simple as possible,

but no simpler.”

Albert Einstein

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Organisations and employee engagement:

The ‘4-ball’ practice model

Play down

‘We don’t...’

Play act

‘It’s all about PR…’

Play safe

‘At least we audit/ benchmark...’

Play make

‘We do it…’ The four progressive states of employee engagement embeddedness in organisations

© The Definitive Guide to Employee Engagement, Nicholas J Higgins & G Cohen, 2012, forthcoming 74

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Little. Limited.

Mostly ephemeral in nature.

Exists in pockets with variation in line management.

Good working knowledge embedded across

organisation.

No definition in use. Most likely borrowed

without any real ownership, or ‘false’ ownership.

Maybe borrowed with internalisation or adapted after some organisational

focus.

Distributed ‘ownership’, whether borrowed, adapted

or created.

Limited to absenteeism metrics, employee surveys

seen as event driven if done.

Probably undertaking surveys but with no valid

construct; response rate/PR main focus.

Will do measurement basics, even to the extent of

engagement index etc. Tick box is main focus.

People management evaluation/measurement

seen as ‘core’ on a par with CRM , finance etc.

Probably in the form of basic training/management

courses.

Probably in the form of basic management courses. Most likely carry out some form of

branded programme.

Will have a number of actioning elements in place but not necessarily joined

up.

Will have necessary ‘toolkit’ to hand with ongoing programmes to suit organisation focus.

Does not exist.

May have something articulated on ‘strategies’.

Most likely collection of irrelevant case studies.

Playbook in the form of ‘manager manual’ or on-line knowledge-share. Still being

developed.

Easy access in different e-/physical formats at

different levels. Signals ‘embedded’ intent.

Will have varied mix of skilled people managers. Existing good performers

more through luck.

Will have varied mix of skilled people managers. Existing good performers

more through luck.

Will have varied mix of skilled people managers but level of competency higher than Play-Act organisations.

Cohort of well-trained people managers exists with

talent pools. Regular evaluation/reinforcement.

NEGATIVE NEGATIVE NEUTRAL POSITIVE

‘PLAY DOWN’ ‘PLAY ACT’ ‘PLAY SAFE’ ‘PLAY MAKE’

Overall value to organisation performance/competitive advantage

I Grounded understanding of employee engagement

II

III

IV

V

VI

Working definition of employee engagement

Measurement wisdom

Actioning Infrastructure

EE-Performance Playbook

Competent leadership/ management

The ‘4-ball’ EE practice model matrix (expanded)

Pillar

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WEBINAR POLL 4

Given the matrix definitions and attributes, I would say my organisation most resembles a…

(select one only)

…’PLAY-MAKER’

…’PLAY-SAFER’

…’PLAY-ACTOR’

…’PLAY-DOWNER’

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• Grounded understanding of EE

• Working definition of EE

• Measurement wisdom

• Actioning infrastructure

• Dynamic EE-Performance ‘playbook’

• Competent leadership/management

‘Six pillars’ for successful employee engagement (to recap)

© The Definitive Guide to Employee Engagement, Nicholas J Higgins & G Cohen, 2012, forthcoming

DELETE

EE PLAYBOOK

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@ £9,000 per annum

79

That’s what our clients, on average, save each year due to our focus on

outcome not over-focus on process!

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Nicholas J Higgins nicholas.higgins@valuentis.com VaLUENTiS Ltd, 2nd Floor, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BD HO: +44 (0)207 887 6108 M: +44 (0)7811 404713 www.valuentis.com www.ISHCM.com www.HCglobal.blogspot.com

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