Fostering Higher Employee Engagement

By now we have all seen the dismal data regarding employee engagement.   Here's the key finding from Gallup:  "The bulk of employees worldwide -- 63% -- are "not engaged," meaning they lack motivation and are less likely to invest discretionary effort in organizational goals or outcomes. And 24% are "actively disengaged," indicating they are unhappy and unproductive at work and liable to spread negativity to coworkers."  

Many companies have made it a strategic imperative to foster higher levels of engagement.  Often these organizations focus on the corporate culture and the work environment.  They reconsider employee compensation, benefits, and other non-pecuniary rewards.   However, I think many of these efforts will falter unless organizations focus on the single biggest driver of disengagement.  As the old saying goes, you don't quit your company; you quit your boss.  Companies need to focus on the relationship between supervisor and employee.   Developing and enhancing the skills and capabilities of these supervisors will go a long way toward improving engagement.  If the supervisors do not change the way that they lead, then all the other efforts will have minimal impact.