Dave Needham, SPHR, MHrD, GSD

Policy does not change culture. You have to start with why engagement has dropped. People do not start a job disengaged so there is a reason it's going down. Bad (untrusting) leadership is the biggest culprit. Policies by definition are signals of distrust. Create processes (how something can be done) vs. policies (what cannot be done.) Process to support development Process to support autonomy Processes to support personal wellbeing Processes to support transparency (how are decisions made) Trust is the gateway to engagement. If your leaders don't trust employees to do the right thing, engagement is a pipe dream.

First...don't call it Performance "management", this assumes that people need to be "managed" to perform. No one wakes up and thinks "man, I hope I suck at my job today" or "I hope I disappoint people today." Talk about performance "facilitation" or "development". Some of the biggest barriers I see to people performing at the their best are: - unclear or unspoken performance standards (these are the base expectations...what is "good enough") - lack of feedback when they do something well - lack of appreciation when they TRY something they have never done before (even if it doesn't go well). - lack of coaching on how to do something better - upside down incentives Fixing those is 90% of success.

Culture is defined and emulated from the top. If you don't have a feedback process or tool that hold managers/execs accountable, start there. Managers/Execs are often the first to exempt themselves from an expectation or norm. Without a way to hold managers/execs accountable, you run the risk of favoritism when assessing culture downward.

If your values are not defined "behaviorally" and as observationally as possible (ie. "we ask for input from the quiet voices" as opposed to "be inclusive") start there. The hard work is setting the "performance standard" for value alignment (how do you know someone aligns with your values?) Most company leaders stay at the high level "judgement", getting to the behavioral standard takes more time. Additionally, you need a feedback system that goes up, down, and sideways. Culture is defined by the worst behaviors you allow. In my experience, execs or those who create a policy/expectation are the first to exclude themselves from it. You need a feedback system that holds managers/execs accountable.

Don't start with "Engagement" it is too nebulous for many managers/leaders to grab on to. Instead, make it about Employee Performance with the core belief that "no one wants the existence where they wake up and think , 'man, I hope I suck at my job today.'" People want to be successful, they want to contribute, and they want to improve. Remove the barriers and make it easier for them to be successful. They are the same levers that lead to employee engagement. Give people... - Clear expected outcomes - Trust and autonomy to achieve them (and the freedom to do it even if different than your approach) - Resources and feedback as needed - A safe environment for them to use errors as a learning experience (not a punishable offense)

TRUST is better than empowerment. I can empower you but if you don't feel trusted...you will wait or constantly ask for direction. Trusted employees take risks, act when needed, and own problems and solutions. Untrusted employees stay in the safe zone by "working as directed" even if they know the directions won't solve the problem.