Manhattanhenge 2014May 29th and May 30th brought about the first of two annual occurrences of Manhanttanhenge in 2015. “Manhattanhenge — sometimes referred to as the Manhattan Solstice — is an event during which the setting sun is aligned with the east–west streets of the main street grid of Manhattan, New York City. This occurs twice a year, on dates evenly spaced around the summer solstice. The first Manhattanhenge occurs around May 28, while the second occurs around July 12.”1

 

“The term “Manhattanhenge” was popularized by Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History and a native New Yorker. It is a reference to Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England, which was constructed so that the rising sun, seen from the center of the monument at the time of the summer solstice, aligns with the outer “Heel Stone”.[1]”2

 

Hundreds of people packed Manhattan’s major east-west thoroughfares (14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 57th Streets) in hope of witnessing the bright glow of the sun in the middle of the city’s concrete canyons.3 People were so excited about the event that they blocked the streets and intersections so that cars, buses, etc., were unable to get through.

 

While I was waiting (safely on a 34th Street sidewalk), I started people watching.  How did everyone learn about the event? What made them come?  What were their expectations? After a bit, I began to realize that Manhattanhenge could be applied to employee engagement.

 

The sun represents engagement. The goal is that everything aligns in the right place at the right time. People want to be part of something larger than themselves and they want to be able to grow. They seek purpose in their work and want to work toward something meaningful. They want their company to stand for something aspirational. They want that warm, fuzzy feeling.

 

The buildings of the concrete canyons stand for the company’s goals and values. They line the career paths for all employees. Parts of the canyon walls may be larger and some buildings may be more important than others depending on the company. The company must also want to and work toward helping keep the sun aligned.

 

The employees are the spectators on the streets. It is the “warming” effects of engagement that attract people toward the sun. As a result, they want to help keep the sun aligned within the concrete canyon walls. Some employees may be living in the “shadows” because they unable to feel the warming effects of the sun whether they be on the wrong street or because there is something or someone blocking the sun. They have three options: 1) They can stand in the same place – perhaps they are warm enough and feel no urge to keep moving/exploring the street; 2) They can move away – the sun may be too bright or too warm for them or they may be too cold and thus seek a warmer climate elsewhere.; or 3) They can move forward – the sun beckons them to continue moving down the street in order to feel warmer.

 

There are traffic lights along the way too; they provide guidance. Green lights allow employees to move ahead.  Yellow lights mean caution. Those employees that are captivated by the sun will accelerate to make it through. Those employees that aren’t as captivated will decide to wait until the light changes to green again. And then there are the red lights. These lights represent the policies, procedures, attitudes, biases, limitations, etc. that block employees from their desire to advance.

 

Maybe Manhattanhenge can be the catalyst for your company to align its employee engagement efforts. If you are in New York City on July 12th or 13th, check out the last occurrence of Manhattanhenge in 2015. In the meantime, I hope you’ll work to bring the “sun” into your company.

 

 

How can you help your employees feel the “warmth” of engagement? What are your thoughts on Manhattanhenge and employee engagement?

 

1 “Manhattanhenge.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 May 2015. Web. 2 June 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattanhenge>.
[1] Tyson, Neil deGrasse. “Manhattanhenge” on the Hayden Planetarium website.
2 “Manhattanhenge.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 May 2015. Web. 2 June 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattanhenge>.
3 “Manhattanhenge Disappoints Again.” NBC New York. NBCUniversal Media, LLC, 30 May 2015. Web. 2 June 2015. <http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Manhattanhenge-Disappoints-Again-305586821.html>.

 

Let’s Engage!

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.

Employee engagement is a critical mission. I hope I can count on your help! Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest intelligence/insights and/or register to make entries in the comments log.

 

I'm Simpson....Gregory F Simpson, Agent in EngagementYou can follow me @agtinengagement.
Email me at g…@a…t.com.
Connect via LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/GregoryFSimpson.
Learn more about me at gregoryfsimpson.com.

 

 

P.S.  First contact? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement community. Explore and join fellow employee engagement operatives in targeting a known thief – alias: Disengagement. Together we can bring this thief to justice and make the world a better place for all companies and their employees.

 

Other recent Agent in Engagement data/reports by Agent Gregory F Simpson: