LEADERSHIP

Investing In Your Employees: Why It Matters

“Profit is not a cause, but a result.” — Peter Drucker

One of the most frequently cited statistics that I run into on a periodic basis is how disengaged or dissatisfied employees are in America. A hundred years ago much of the chafing was due to long hours and high pressure to do more while being paid a pittance. Those circumstances are what drove the move toward unionization so that workers had rights. Sick pay and pensions were unheard of in 1900, but eventually became more the norm for companies that wanted to retain good employees.

Today, dissatisfied employees find themselves in a wholly different set of circumstances. We’re all familiar with the expression “golden handcuffs.” They are well paid and have benefits, but the work culture all too often leaves them feeling demeaned and, according to Gallup polls on workplace engagement, they are disengaged. Why is this?

Investing in Your Employees: The Engaged Worker

First off, let’s try to identify what an engaged employee looks like. One attribute of engaged employees is that they look forward to going to work every day. Heading to the office on Monday morning energizes them. They enjoy their work, enjoy being part of a team that is…