Don't Take Your Staff's Engagement For Granted
Posted by:
Chris Bailey on
June 25, 2008 at
8:31AM EST
Once upon a time, I worked as a membership development director for
non-profit professional associations in Washington, DC. The core
functions of my work centered on new member recruitment and current
member retention, both of which were (and still are) incredibly
important to organizational health. I always pitched to my staff, executives, and
Board of Directors that members are the lifeblood of the association.
Without members - who bring their dues, participation, and energetic
passion - there would be no association. Common sense, right?
But
then, I would follow this with something usually less obvious: without
an engaged staff, there would be no members wanting to bring their dues,
participation, and energetic passion. Too often, professional
associations and non-profits expend so much of their focus on what lies
outside, they can overlook the very people who make things happen
inside every single day (don't worry, for-profits are not immune
either). There's a reason why many non-profits are not run solely by
members or volunteers. It's because the professional paid staff have
the experience, skills, and talents to help members and volunteers
achieve great organizational goals.
If
you're in a leadership role for a non-profit, take some time today to
think about your staff and whether they're truly engaged in their work.
Because non-profits are usually mission-driven, it's easy to take
employee engagement for granted. But an engaged staffer who has the
ability to use their unique strengths, talents, and passions on a daily
basis is far more likely to deliver the kind of remarkable service that
attracts new members or constituents and retains them.
Here are a few questions to ask. Start by answering yourself and then pose them to each staff member during your one-on-ones:
- Are you able to use your own unique strengths, talents, and passions everyday in your work?
- What would you like to be doing more of that will help you grow your strengths?
- Are there barriers that keep you from bringing your best to your work every day?
Deeply
listen to what is said and learn from what you hear. Then make a point
to take action and openly communicate that action and results to your
staff. Just don't push this under the rug. And don't let your employees feel invisible. That's a sure-fire way to kill engagement and
create the kind of service culture that loses both employees and
constituents.
(5) Comments
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Posted by: patti digh on June 25, 2008 11:32AM EST
Great post. This kind of outward-focus is so prevalent - spending more time and energy on external stakeholders than on internal ones. Don't we also sometimes do that with our own families, too?
When the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) act passed, I was very active in the disability community on a national level - a friend outside that sphere made the brilliantly naive comment: "Wouldn't it make sense for EVERY employer to ask EVERY employee what 'reasonable accommodation' they need to do their best work?"
Thanks for this food for thought.
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Posted by: Chris Bailey on June 25, 2008 12:31PM EST
That is brilliant. It's those simple questions that cut right to the heart of things, isn't it? And in the non-profit world where everyone typically wears many hats and works for pay that can be lower than in other industries, providing a clear way for each employee to bring their best selves each day is vital. It's something that can't be ignored or sacrificed to attitudes of busyness and hyperproductivity. Each ED and CEO should ask themselves why their employees work for their organization and would they sprint out the door if another job opportunity fell in their lap.
Thanks for getting the dialogue started, Patti!
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Posted by: Larry Wenger on June 25, 2008 5:24PM EST
In my work with non-profits around leadership issues I find that while everyone is very proud of the service they provide, when staff start talking about their relationships with each other, the discussion is often not very pretty. Turnover is too often accepted as a cost of doing business. So just like they have plans and goals to enable their clients to be successful, it would make sense that staff have a "treatment plan" to enable collaborative staff success.
Larry Wenger
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Thanks, Larry. Your comment sparks an interesting question: what is acceptable turnover? In the non-profit sector - where career mobility within an organization can be somewhat static - turnover can be crippling but it's understandable if there's little room to move and grow as a professional. One person leaving to take on more responsibility or new challenges at another org is one thing...two, three, or more leaving because they feel dissatisfied with the work environment points to a cultural issue. If that's considered just another business cost, then that might just be gross mismanagement at play.
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Posted by: Tad Druart on June 30, 2008 2:12PM EST
Sean Stannard-Stockton had a great article about investing in the best in Financial Times. He also blogs about it on his Tactical Philanthropy blog. There is a great deal that plays into staff engagement, but Sean does a nice job of speaking to the "business case."
http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/06/invest-in-the-best-to-make-an-impact
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