Employee Engagement Drivers is an Archaic Term

Does work “put you into the driver’s seat?”

Are we there yet? I keep reading references to the drivers of employee engagement. I don’t like it. If I am an employee you want to engage don’t drive me, don’t make me feel that I am driven by external forces. You should put me in the driver’s seat. This is similar to the expression we sometimes see about getting everybody on the bus. If everybody is on the bus there is only one “driver” and we make employees feel like school children.

Defining Drivers. Here is a definition of drivers: An aspect of a business that effects a change on another aspect of the business. A driver is most commonly a factor that contributes to the growth of a particular business.

Respect. I don’t want to be thought of as an aspect or factor. I am human, work with me, don’t drive me. Rather than driving — we need to be invited, respected, and brought fully into the process and conversation of engagement. My favorite line from positive deviancy keeps resonating in my brain, “don’t do anything about me, without me.”

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David Zinger breathes employee engagement.  His writing, speaking, coaching, and consulting focus on helping organizations and individuals increase employee engagement by 20%. David founded the 3200 member Employee Engagement Network. The network  is committed to increasing employee engagement 20% by 2020. Contact David today to enhance engagement where you work.

(Email: dzinger@shaw.ca  / Phone 204 254 2130  /  Website: www.davidzinger.com)