Engagement V Alignment; or are they the same?
24/09/2009
There are many different definitions for both Engagement and Alignment but both often focus on the implicit “deal” between an individual and their organisation that by default contribute to increased organisational performance.
- Engagement; “an employee's involvement with, commitment to, and satisfaction with work." Schmidt et al
- Alignment; “an employee’s very personal goals and drivers of job satisfaction with the organisation’s strategy and contribution requirements”
Huge investment has been made on defining employee engagement and the various components that contribute to an engaged workforce. In summary, key drivers for engagement include:
- Brand Advocacy – do I believe in the products and services we provide?
- Pride – am I proud of the work we do and would I recommend this as a good place to work?
- Commitment – am I committed to helping my organisation be successful?
- Satisfaction – am I satisfied with my current job and organisation?
Focusing purely on these drivers of engagement in isolation however, may lead organisations to miss the real essence of alignment. In order for an individual to be aligned, they not only need the critical line of sight to their organisation’s strategic intent, but they need to have the self-awareness and confidence to understand their own personal goals and drivers, and the organisation needs a culture which supports development, different personal aspirations and the opportunity to articulate what is important to each individual employee.
Often after large scale change, organisations are keen to communicate their new strategy and direction for the purpose of “aligning” their staff with the future. Whilst this provides the critical line of sight mentioned above and also often outlines how individuals can contribute to business success, it doesn’t always provide the same opportunity for individuals to communicate their side of the equation. It could also be a massive leap of faith for many individuals whose psychological contract may have been irretrievably damaged and who may have emotionally disengaged from their job and their organisation.
Are our colleagues intellectually buying into the “new world” but emotionally have lost their way?
Our employees may tick all the boxes on Advocacy, Pride, Commitment and Satisfaction but has the time arrived to look beyond those key drivers for engagement and start supporting individuals to look more creatively at what they truly want and offer, in order to release untapped potential and harness that critical discretionary effort?
Providing opportunities to rebuild this psychological contract and build new alignment must lie in parallel to employee engagement. Leaders during change must be ready to push back the boundaries to explore the changing organisational landscape and critically understand how this impacts on the employment “deal” we offer our workforce in order to achieve true alignment.
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