THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT MATTER FOR EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Recently, I had an opportunity to spend the morning with a Gallup Storyteller. These are the folks that make sense of the mountains of data collected by the Gallup organization. He was sharing about their Q12 employee engagement survey. When he began with Gallup, 20 years ago, there were close to 100 questions on the survey. Today, he said only three of the twelve are used in scoring. 

• Does your Boss (Leader) care about you?
• Do you get to do what you are good at?
• Do you feel appreciated?

I am most interested in how you would answer those questions about your work at EDSI. 

In our Leadership Academy, we routinely reference the whole person. We do not expect people to leave their problems at the door, and they do not become a different person when they walk into the office. I am hopeful that our leaders at all levels convey how much they care about the people they serve. The first third of every meeting I have is not about work. I want to dedicate that time to checking in with people about their lives outside of the office. As I like to say, “If you don’t love ‘em. Don’t lead ‘em.” 

We have also practiced a strengths-based approach to employee development, at EDSI, for more than 25 years. I do not know if everyone gets to feel that way on a daily basis. If you find that you are answering “No” to any of the three questions above, please challenge yourself to share your feelings with your servant leader. 

I practice what I call the “You are on the clock” rule. If I hear myself complaining about work to someone I love, I have 24 hours to meet with a person who can improve that process or behavior. Once you hear a complaint come out of your mouth, you are on the clock. Meet with someone who can create a change with you. Be kind. Be compassionate. Be respectful and be clear. Complaints about work to your best friend outside of the company, can easily become important continuous improvements within the company. 

Finally, I hope you always feel appreciated. We will continue to think about new ways to convey genuine, consistent appreciation. As a younger leader, I would put five pennies in my right pants pocket at the start of each day. Then, each time I shared my appreciation with someone, I would transfer a penny from the right pocket to the left. It was a great reminder to share gratitude, consistently. 

Here’s to a great 2025 for you and all those you love! 

Please take great care and know that I greatly appreciate how hard you work to live our EDSI values.

Very sincerely,
Kevin