Employee engagement can be measured with three yes/no questions
I listened to a podcast from the Table Group this week, in which Patrick Lencioni and two colleagues reflected on the three things every employee needs to be engaged at work.
You've probably taken some version of employee engagement survey and chances are those surveys had a lot more than three questions.
But, Lencioni & Co. contest that three simple questions can measure employee engagement:
Is the employee known at work as an individual human being? "All human beings need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority."
Does the employee know how her work is relevant to someone - to anyone? "Without seeing a connection between their work and the satisfaction of other people, an employee will not find lasting fulfillment."
Does the employee have a way to measure her success - a measure that is wholly within her control? "People cannot be fulfilled in their work if their success depends entirely on the opinions or whims of another person."
Check out the model and the fable in which Lencioni fully articulates the model, The Truth About Employee Engagement.
P.S. No, I'm not an employee of the Table Group. I'm just a firm believer in the principles for organizational health The Table Group teaches in books like The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Ideal Team Player, and Death by Meeting. Each book uses a short fable to illustrate the model before providing tactical recommendations for implementing the principles in any organization.
