This is Part 2 in our series on employee engagement. Part 1 addressed more common issues businesses face when employees feel unengaged. Part 3 offers the solution to these common problems.
Conflict
Being in an office is much like being in a family. There are a handful of personalities, moods and motivations. So resolving conflict in an office is accomplished in the same way it is in a family. The first element to consider is whether the family is functional or dysfunctional. In a functional family, all members respect one another. They may not agree at all times, but they will listen with understanding spirits and collaborate to find realistic solutions. A dysfunctional family will yell, blame and often walk away from the conversation. They are not invested in the relationship enough to care about resolving it. This concept also applies to work relationship dynamics. If employees are engaged with one another, they will seek to resolve conflict because they appreciate their work environment too much to allow conflict to ruin the culture. However, if employees are not invested in the company or their co-workers, then they will spark arguments and prolong conflict. These types of employees are often looking for other jobs and don’t care if they cause problems on their way out the door.
Productivity
We’re performing at a higher level, we’ve become more innovative and we’ve become more self-governing.
Forbes.com writer, Terry Waghorn, interviewed the CEO of the Campbell Soup Co., Douglas Conant, about how he turned “a beleaguered old brand” back into a profitable company. Conant understood the connection between productivity and engagement—one CEO cannot accomplish his goals unless his people are supporting his vision. Conant says, “One of the first things I did was make it clear I understood that Campbell as an organization needed to demonstrate its commitment to its people before they could be expected to demonstrate their own extraordinary commitment to it and its success. This understanding became the basis of what we call the Campbell Promise, which is summed up by the phrase, ‘Campbell valuing people, people valuing Campbell.’” Conant can attest to Campbell’s financial success. He said, “besides our improved financial and market performance, the biggest benefit has been the revitalization of our whole culture. We’re performing at a higher level, we’ve become more innovative and we’ve become more self-governing. That all contributes to our being on track to have one of our best years ever, despite the worst economy of our lifetimes.”
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