The  Zinger Employee Engagement Model: Version 1.3 – Engagement for Results

Here is an overview of the  Zinger Employee Engagement Model.  The purpose of the model is to foster both understanding and actions to achieve robust results and authentic employee engagement for all.

Included with this model are:

1. A definition of employee engagement.
2. An image of the model.
3. 14 symbols and brief descriptions of each component of the model.

Employee Engagement Definition

Employee engagement is the art and science of engaging people

in authentic and recognized connections to strategy, roles, performance,

organization, community, relationship, customers, development, energy, and happiness

to leverage, sustain, and transform work into results.

The model

The 14 components and symbols for each component

Achieve results. Employee Engagement is directed towards achieving results.  The first key of the model is on the far right hand side and begins with the results the organization, department, team, or individual wants to achieve. The key question for this part of the model is: What do you want achieve and how will you know when you achieve it?

Craft strategy. From the far right hand side of the model we move back through the model to the far left hand side of the model. To achieve results we need to craft a strategy to get there. How will we get those results and does everyone know the organization’s intentions and plans?  Is our strategy engaging and will we have high enough employee engagement to fulfill the strategy?

Connect. A central key of employee engagement is connection. In some ways connection is synonymous with engagement. How well are employees connected to the other elements of engagement ranging from their organization to genuine happiness? Connect starts the central keys of CARE embedded in the employee engagement model.

Authentic. Authenticity is the the A of CARE. Employee engagement must be authentic. Employees and customers can spot phony from a mile away or even in a moment of time. We must transcend superficial relationships, community or happiness towards engagement that is heartfelt.  Powerful engagement is real and robust.

Recognition. The R in the core of CARE is recognition. Potent employee engagement requires powerful recognition. We are talking about a lot more than long service awards or pens. Are employees fully seen and acknowledged? Do employees see the importance of what they are doing and how their work connects to results?

Engage. CARE ends with the E of engage. We so often talk about “engagement” and substitute the verb of working (engage)  for a static noun (engagement). Engage focuses on the actions of engagement. Engagement is not a one time survey measure or a steady state. To engage is to fully experience and contribute to the dynamic elements of work.

Enliven work roles. We have various roles that we must fulfill to fully engage. A role is a set of behaviors, rights and obligations at work. We must guard against too many roles or role overload while also fully being in the roles that contribute to results, relationships, and engagement. Sometimes leaders and managers are almost impervious to their role as employee too.

Excel at performance. Engagement for results can contribute to effective performance management. Performance demonstrates our engagement while engagement can help us excel at performance. Good employee engagement should foster star performers. We want to help each employee become a star performer to benefit customers, the organization, and themselves.

Identify with organization.  How aligned is the employee with the organization? Is there a mesh between the organizational and individual brand? Do employees feel that they are a part of the organization or apart from the organization? Are they proud to work for their organization and equally proud to recommend their organization and be constant ambassadors for the organization.

Foster relationships and community. A strong key of employee engagement is our connection to relationships and community. These relationships and community can be personal and social media. Do we build relationships and results? The essence of work is relationships and community. Organizations that do not transform themselves into communities are in danger of becoming obsolete or ignored.

Serve customers. We want employees to serve the organization’s customers and there are very strong relationships between employee engagement and customer engagement. Does the employee feel served by the organization and management so much so that they in turn offer the same level of service to the external and internal customers.

Develop personally and professionally. Work should offer benefits back to  employees. Employees should experience both personal and professional development through work ranging from courses and learning to developing their own strengths, value, visibility, and engagement.  We spend so much time at work and work should help us become all we are capable of becoming.

Leverage energies. The raw material of engagement is energy. Do we have the energy to fully engage? Do we offer the organization an energy gain or do we deplete the energy of our peers? Powerful engagement involves mastery of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and organizational energy. Energy not time is the vital resource for engaged working.

Attain genuine happiness. Ultimately work should contribute to our genuine happiness. We are happy to work, we contribute happiness to others, and we look forward to work. Genuine happiness is developed through knowing and using our strengths in the service of others, gratitude,  and a host of other authentic contributors to happiness.

The model and symbols: This was a brief overview of the model and accompanying symbols. This website and David Zinger’s services will  contribute to enriching not just your understanding of the model for the organization and yourself but using the model to achieve results for  the benefit of all.

Contact David Zinger to put the model to work for more powerful, robust, and authentic employee engagement within your organization.