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by Jay Timms, Organizational Psychologist

I'll be the first to admit it.  I am getting old. 

I grew up in a world where the boss was not only respected, they were kind of feared. You did what you were told to do and never questioned the tasks you were given, and you were thankful that you didn't get fired just about every day.  Ah…the good old days. 

Well, not really. There was a whole lot of negatives that went along with that as well. Employees were considered secondary to profits and often overworked, abused, and neglected. But it was the cultural norm back in the 80s and 90s, so nobody really questioned it. 

Today, things are different to a certain degree. More and more, employers are recognizing that the key to a successful organization is happy and engaged employees. While our culture has shifted to allow employees to have more of a voice and belief that they have more choice in how they want to be treated by their employers than we did, leaders are still faced with the same problem that they had back when I began my journey in leadership over 35 years ago; namely, "How do we motivate our employees to bring their best to work every day?"

As an organizational psychologist, I've observed a critical disconnect between what leaders believe about their company culture and what employees actually experience. This gap not only affects productivity but also contributes to the alarming rise in leadership burnout.

The Root of the Problem

Many organizations still operate on management principles developed over a century ago. Frederick Taylor's 1911 scientific management model, while groundbreaking for its time, emphasized system efficiency over human potential. This approach is increasingly at odds with the expectations of today's workforce.

The result? A staggering disparity between perception and reality. While 70% of leaders believe their organization has an engaged culture, only 17% of employees agree. This misalignment costs businesses dearly in terms of productivity, innovation, and talent retention.

Understanding the Brain-Engagement Connection

To address this issue, we must understand how the human brain functions in the workplace. Two key areas play crucial roles in daily functioning:

1. The Limbic System: This is our emotional center, responsible for instinctual responses and the production of emotion-driving chemicals.
2. The Cortex: This area handles higher-level functions like planning, organizing, and innovation.

Crucially, when the limbic system is highly charged (due to stress, fear, or anxiety), it inhibits the cortex's ability to function optimally. In other words, it is physically impossible to simultaneously be highly emotional and highly intelligent.

The Leader's Role in Engagement

One of the guiding principle dimensions of the Shingo Model is "Cultural Enablers", with supporting concepts of "Assuring a Safe Environment", "Developing People," and "Empowering and Involving Everyone".  Along that vein, as leaders, our primary task is to create an environment that minimizes negative limbic system activity. In practical terms, this means fostering psychological safety - a workplace where employees feel secure in expressing ideas, concerns, and needs without fear of negative consequences.

Research consistently shows employee engagement is the most effective way to decrease negative limbic system activity. Engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and loyal. But how do we boost engagement?

The Five Pillars of Employee Engagement

Based on extensive research, we can distill employee engagement down to five key factors:

1. Personal Care: Employees need to feel that their leaders care about them as individuals, not just as productive units.
2. Individual Development: Each employee should have a personalized growth plan.
3. Mutual Trust and Respect: The relationship between leaders and employees should be adult-to-adult, not parent-to-child.
4. Barrier Removal: Leaders must be committed to eliminating obstacles that hinder employee success.
5. Meaningful Work: Employees should understand how their daily tasks contribute to the company's mission and personal fulfillment.

The Secret Sauce: Seeing Potential

The most powerful way to supercharge engagement is surprisingly simple: See who your employees can or want to become and help them get there. Most leaders see what they want the employee to achieve in terms of behavior and output, but when you shift the thinking to trying to help the employee achieve their potential as a person, absolutely everything shifts. This approach taps into the human desire for growth and self-actualization, creating a virtuous cycle of engagement and performance.

Practical Steps for Implementation

1. Create Detailed Growth Plans: For each role, identify the skills and knowledge required at three levels - understanding, succeeding, and excelling. Break these down into specific, measurable behaviors.
2. Develop Key Behavioral Indicators (KBIs): Unlike traditional KPIs, KBIs focus on daily actions that lead to desired outcomes. This shift in focus helps employees understand exactly what they need to do to excel in their roles.
3. Conduct Effective One-on-Ones: Regular (no less than every two weeks) one-on-one meetings should focus on how you, as a leader, can support your employee's growth and remove barriers to their success.
4. Implement Individual Development Plans (IDPs): Quarterly IDP sessions allow for more in-depth discussions about an employee's progress, goals, and alignment with the organization's mission.

Overcoming Time Constraints

Many leaders balk at these suggestions, citing time constraints. However, this is where we need to channel the spirit of innovation that led to breakthroughs like Japan's bullet train. When engineers were told to double the speed of trains, they initially claimed it was impossible. However, when given no choice, they found innovative solutions by re-examining every aspect of train design.

Similarly, leaders need to explore alternatives to their current management practices. I promise that if you commit to these engagement strategies for just three months, you'll see a significant shift in your team's performance and your own work-life balance.

Starting Small for Big Impact

If you're not in a position to implement these changes organization-wide, start with your own team. After three months of consistent application, the results will speak for themselves, potentially influencing broader organizational change.

Final Thoughts

The people in your organization were hired by you or the hiring team because someone saw the value these individuals can bring to the company and the team.  When you do not intentionally create environments of engagement and development for your employees, you are literally tying one hand behind their back and asking them to produce even more output.  It is simply not possible.  You will see employees who do not care, do not put in the effort, produce sub-par results, and will measure their day by how much time is left on the clock before they can go home. 

The psychology behind getting employees to bring their best to the table every day lies in your ability to create a culture and environment of engagement. Subconsciously motivating your employees to take ownership of their roles, you can then stand back and get out of their way while they produce amazing things. 

Remember, the key to organizational success lies not in focusing on the numbers on the P&L but in investing in the growth and engagement of your most valuable asset—your people.

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