Engagement At Work
written by Sandy - October 13th, 2010 at 11:31 am
A message from Janis. Harvard researchers discovered the four main drivers that engage us at work:
A Drive To Aquire. At work, this includes superficial items (such as status and bonuses) as well as more meaningful stuff like job fulfillment and autonomy. It’s also about how fairly performance is rewarded and the competitiveness of your salaries.
A Drive To Bond. At work, this is the need to have caring relationships, which is influenced by the support your employees have, not only from you but also from each other. There’s a greater likelihood of this being met when collaboration is valued and when managers are people-focused.
A Drive To Comprehend. At work, this has a lot to do with learning and is best seen in environments that encourage employees to be curious. The setting of challenges, the attainment of knowledge, and the gaining of new skills are all important factors, as is the desire to be doing work that’s meaningful.
A Drive To Defend. At work, this is associated with providing employees with opportunities to respond to perceived threats, whatever they may be. Work environments that excel at this are characterized by open and transparent communication, trustworthy managers, and a workplace free of intimidation.
When those four drivers are in concert, engagement at work can be achieved. In their absence, it’s the workplace equivalent of an authoritarian regime.
December 22nd, 2010 at 6:27 am
This is great information Janis. I knew I loved you for a reason.