Comments on: Employee Engagement: What do we need to remove? http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/ David Zinger on Authentic Engagement, Leadership & Results Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:10:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: David Zinger http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1198 David Zinger Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:28:30 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1198 Leon, What an interesting thesis. All the best with it. It can be a challenge to create that joint enterprise but when it happens...so much engagement can develop. Thank you for you comment. David Leon,
What an interesting thesis. All the best with it. It can be a challenge to create that joint enterprise but when it happens…so much engagement can develop.
Thank you for you comment.
David

]]> By: Leon Larocque http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1197 Leon Larocque Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:17:50 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1197 Hi David, I have recently written a doctoral thesis on learning in natural environment using the conceptual framework "communities of practice" by Wenger (1998). I think one thing that needs to be taken out is personal or individual enterprise. Any organization needs to focus on establishing a joint enterprise that employees will buy into and that will lead into a mutual engagement into the joint enterprise. Thanks for your list, I wish my current employer would take the time to read this, as my workplace has just about everything mentionned on the list of things to be removed. Hi David,

I have recently written a doctoral thesis on learning in natural environment using the conceptual framework “communities of practice” by Wenger (1998). I think one thing that needs to be taken out is personal or individual enterprise. Any organization needs to focus on establishing a joint enterprise that employees will buy into and that will lead into a mutual engagement into the joint enterprise.

Thanks for your list, I wish my current employer would take the time to read this, as my workplace has just about everything mentionned on the list of things to be removed.

]]> By: David Zinger http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1193 David Zinger Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:52:20 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1193 Mike: You make such a good point of trust and how vital it is for full engagement. Thank you. Peter You packe so much into your 7 points, I will need to come back again (maybe a couple of times) to review them from gossip as violence to the lacks of connection believing "hey, that's me" instead of looking at us. Thanks to both of you. Mike:
You make such a good point of trust and how vital it is for full engagement. Thank you.

Peter
You packe so much into your 7 points, I will need to come back again (maybe a couple of times) to review them from gossip as violence to the lacks of connection believing “hey, that’s me” instead of looking at us.

Thanks to both of you.

]]> By: peter vajda http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1192 peter vajda Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:38:16 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1192 1. gossip...a form of workplace violence...no matter how much folks attempt to justify and rationalize it - in order to "go along with it to get along"; 2. making judgments about others based on "you need to be more like me" 3. emotional naivete - inability to maturely handle one's emotions when interacting with others 4.taking others' achievements as mine 5.being engrained and attached to old ways, habits and patterns of doing things even when they're self-limiting and self-destructive 6.failure to say "thank you" 7.assuming that others should accept my idiosyncracies (that are destructive to the team/organization)simply because "hey, that's me." 1. gossip…a form of workplace violence…no matter how much folks attempt to justify and rationalize it - in order to “go along with it to get along”;
2. making judgments about others based on “you need to be more like me”
3. emotional naivete - inability to maturely handle one’s emotions when interacting with others
4.taking others’ achievements as mine
5.being engrained and attached to old ways, habits and patterns of doing things even when they’re self-limiting and self-destructive
6.failure to say “thank you”
7.assuming that others should accept my idiosyncracies (that are destructive to the team/organization)simply because “hey, that’s me.”

]]> By: Mike http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1191 Mike Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:15:32 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1191 I think engagement is 100% about trust and thus could be drilled back to a character flaw in the leader. Every one of the reasons sited in your post and in the comments, to me, is a different way of saying, "I don't trust you." I would go so far as to say that until you create an environment ripe with trust you will never have a meaningful organization. It's not to say that an organization won't be successful, it will just never reach it's full potential. I think engagement is 100% about trust and thus could be drilled back to a character flaw in the leader.

Every one of the reasons sited in your post and in the comments, to me, is a different way of saying, “I don’t trust you.”

I would go so far as to say that until you create an environment ripe with trust you will never have a meaningful organization. It’s not to say that an organization won’t be successful, it will just never reach it’s full potential.

]]> By: David Zinger http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1189 David Zinger Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:56:16 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1189 I believe you Mike! I believe you Mike!

]]> By: Mike King http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1188 Mike King Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:35:52 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1188 Lack of faith or disbelief. Call it whichever you prefer but not believing in one's or the company's ability is a major roadblock! Lack of faith or disbelief.

Call it whichever you prefer but not believing in one’s or the company’s ability is a major roadblock!

]]> By: David Zinger http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1187 David Zinger Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:40:48 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1187 Terrence, Jennifer, and Jessica: Thank you so very much to adding to what workplaces or organizations can remove to enhance engagement. Negative-sim, micromanagment, and indifference can now be thrown out! David Terrence, Jennifer, and Jessica:
Thank you so very much to adding to what workplaces or organizations can remove to enhance engagement. Negative-sim, micromanagment, and indifference can now be thrown out!
David

]]> By: Jessica Genry http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1186 Jessica Genry Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:45:41 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1186 Indifference: We need to remove indifference, provide direction, state an educated opinion and be enthusiastic about the anticipated results! Indifference: We need to remove indifference, provide direction, state an educated opinion and be enthusiastic about the anticipated results!

]]> By: Jennifer Floyd http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1185 Jennifer Floyd Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:30:38 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1185 You have a great start here! I wish I could give you a laundry list of things my organization has already removed... but we're not there yet. One of the things we're trying to remove is: Micromanagement. Decisions must be made expeditiously and at the level where the greatest knowledge and experience resides. That's not always at the executive level. It's not always at the manager level. We must empower the right people to make decisions and then just get the heck out of the way, IMHO. You have a great start here! I wish I could give you a laundry list of things my organization has already removed… but we’re not there yet. One of the things we’re trying to remove is:

Micromanagement. Decisions must be made expeditiously and at the level where the greatest knowledge and experience resides. That’s not always at the executive level. It’s not always at the manager level. We must empower the right people to make decisions and then just get the heck out of the way, IMHO.

]]> By: Terrence Seamon http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1183 Terrence Seamon Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:02:04 +0000 http://www.davidzinger.com/employee-engagement-what-do-we-need-to-remove-732/#comment-1183 One more that your list triggered, David, is Negative-ism. Negative-ism (the tendency to say "No" to most things) is a real killer of engagement. Terry One more that your list triggered, David, is Negative-ism.

Negative-ism (the tendency to say “No” to most things) is a real killer of engagement.

Terry

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