Are You Engaging your Employees or Is a Revolution Brewing?

The fall of Mubarak in Egypt was a result of the unrelenting protests by masses of citizens in their efforts to seek liberty and the ability to live their lives to the fullest. This autocratic government characterized by corruption and lack of transparency, denied its citizenry the ability to individually prosper. Using social networking and other technologies, citizens amassed in Tahrir Square to voice their grievances and achieve revolutionary change.

Well, do you sometimes worry if your employees are congregating in the break room or conversing on Twitter and Facebook about similar concerns in your company? You may not be a 30-year ruler, but have you stopped to consider whether your workplace culture nurtures your employees or stifles them?

The universal Priorities for engaging your employees

If your workplace lacks the universal Priorities that promote the well-being of your workers, then you may have a revolt of your own or even worse, employees may continue going through the motions while feeling totally disengaged.

So what are these universal Priorities for engaging your employees? How do you build a culture of highly engaged and motivated employees? Focus on these six values to avoid building unrest in your company:

1. Fit: Are you hiring employees who are a fit with the culture of the organization—its purpose and principles? Are employees in jobs that are a fit? Do they feel their work is significant, challenging and the best use of their abilities? Do tasks build on the employee’s strengths?
2. Trust: Do employees consider the workplace to be a trusting workplace where they feel leaders have integrity–they’re honest, respected, and fair?
3. Caring: Is the workplace a caring workplace? Does it feel like family? Do managers care about workers? Do they encourage collaboration and teamwork? Do employees have friends at work?
4. Communication: Is there ongoing, open, two-way communication where leaders and managers listen? Is information freely shared?
5. Achievement: Does the company support individual development? Do employees get meaningful and positive feedback? Are employees growing in ways that nurture achievement and mastery?
6. Ownership: Do employees feel like owners? Do they have autonomy where they participate in decision-making, are responsible, and have flexibility in how they achieve their goals?

Work is more than an economic transaction; addressing the social and human side of the worker is key to achieving optimal performance. These universal Priorities are not unique values, but when everyone in your organization lives by these values, it produces an enriching and high-performing workplace that stimulates exceptional efforts and heightened loyalty. Organizations that practice these universal Priorities create workplaces of excellence.

Now is the time to build a workplace that energizes the human spirit while enhancing productivity and business success. Incorporate each of the universal Priorities in your workplace and prevent a revolution or a growing apathy that kills a company through a slow but steady decline. When employees’ human needs are met, they are more engaged.