PART ONE
What Engagement Looks Like Today

A MANAGEMENT TALE…

IN EARLIER TIMES, the executives turned to their most trusted advisers—the engineers and the economists—and asked how workers should be managed.

“Rationally,” they replied, for such was their training. “Workers are often emotional and must be controlled. We must give them simple tasks with many rules and watch closely to make sure they obey them.”

“And will they obey?” asked the executives.

“Yes, for they are poor, and we will deny them money and work if they do not.”

“Very well,” said the executives, and their advisers happily designed detailed Rule books and Compensation Systems and built tall Hierarchies to administer them. This took time, but the world moved slowly then, and there was little competition, and so their organizations prospered.

As time passed, the workers gathered into unions to protect themselves from low wages and firings. They shared in the general prosperity and became more educated. As this came to pass, they began to petition the executives that their emotional needs might be better met. This frightened the advisers, who truly believed that emotion was the doorway to Chaos. But the executives bade them modify the rules to permit modest participation and job enrichment, and their organizations prospered.

But shortly thereafter, as these things are measured, the executives beheld Great Change. The world grew small, competitors abounded in all its realms, and buyers of their wares began to demand great Speed, Quality, and Customization. As their Hierarchies and Rule books began to fail them, the executives again turned to their advisers.

“How can we meet these demands?” they asked.

Their advisers, of course, answered, “Rationally,” and fashioned the cost-cutting sword of Value-added. Wielding this sword, the executives made great slashes in their Hierarchies. They also gutted the Rule books, that workers might better innovate and meet customer needs.

When the cutting was done, the executives found that much had changed for their workers. There were no tall hierarchies to closely monitor and direct them nor detailed Rules to comply with. What, the executives wondered, will ensure that workers act responsibly now? In answer, they heard the voices of new management gurus who spoke of the need for Employee Engagement. “Workers must feel Passion for the work and derive Fulfillment from it.” And the executives heard in this message an echo of their own energy for work. However, the gurus spoke with many voices, and it was not clear exactly what Engagement meant nor how it worked.

So the executives, as before, turned to their trusted advisers, the engineers and economists. “How can we Engage workers by managing for Passion and Fulfillment?” they asked.

“We cannot answer that question,” replied the advisers, “for it is not rational.”

Clearly, thought the executives, Engagement is a different sort of concept and requires new thinking. So the executives selected a consultant renowned for his wisdom and approached him with their question.

“Much has changed for our workers. Can you help us to Engage them in their new work?”

The Wise Consultant pondered for a while and said, “Perhaps we should begin by looking at what is involved in the new work—to see what it is that you wish them to be Engaged in and how you might recognize Engagement when it occurs.”