Wheel of Employee Engagement - areas cycleThis is the final posts on The Wheel of Employee Engagement. In The Wheel of Employee Engagement: An Introduction, we discussed how to create your own Wheel of Employee. In the previous posts, we began looking at each of the identified areas of disengagement and explored some suggestions for improving our ratings in the Employee – Manager Relationship, in Recognition & Rewards, and in Growth & Development. Remember, our goal is to align all areas along the same rating beginning with “Average.”

 

Wheel of Employee Engagement - combined with spidergraph

 

Using our Wheel of Employee Engagement example above, let’s finish our discussion by looking at the fourth area of disengagement: “Opportunity for Advancement.”

 

Wheel of Employee Engagement - Opportunity for Advancement

 

In our example, we rated ourselves as “No Focus.” in the Opportunity for Advancement area. Since this area is below our baseline, we would want to start by identifying way we can move into the “Average” category.

 

Today knowledge has power. It controls access to opportunity and advancement.  – Peter Drucker

 

Regardless of where you rated yourself, let’s consider some suggestions to attain each of the ratings.

 

Average

  • Managers talk with their direct reports to learn about career goals and advancement opportunities expectations.
  • Managers delegate important tasks to their direct reports.
  • Internships are offered as a way to identify future employees.
  • Cross-training opportunities are provided within and outside of an employee’s area.
  • Formal mentoring program is established and actively monitored.
  • Invitations extended to join important boards/committees.
  • Networking is encouraged internally and externally.

 

 

Above Average

  • Managers discuss their direct reports’ career goals with leadership.
  • Utilize assessments to help employees better understand themselves and how they are perceived by coworkers, clients, etc. as well to help identify potential success in future roles.
  • Company has clearly mapped career progression paths that address linear and non-linear movement.
  • High Potential employees are identified and participate in formal programs.
  • Formal Succession Planning Process
  • Managers involve and consult employees in strategy planning, i.e., what should we be doing?
  • Employees have the opportunity to teach, speak on topics in which they are interested in order to help them become thought leaders.

 

 

Superior

While it may be possible to attain this level, there will be times when further work will be needed, i.e., new employees, reorganizations, business challenges, etc. Creating opportunities for advancement is an ongoing process.

  • Job Rotation programs
  • International assignments
  • Promotions that increase expectations, challenge, etc., i.e. more than just a title change.
  • Manager renders himself/herself obsolete as a way of encouraging the promotion of direct reports as well as demonstrating a readiness for new challenges/opportunities.

 

Note: The items listed above are meant to provide you with a starting point as you consider ways to improve your category ratings. They are not meant to be comprehensive.

 

What are your thoughts on these suggestions? What would you include/exclude from each rating?

 

Now that we’ve looked at how to create a Wheel of Engagement and, using our example, discussed some ways in which we can improve our ratings, I encourage you to develop your own Wheel of Engagement and begin to concentrate on those areas were additional focus is needed. In addition, revisit this previous posts to learn more about providing employees with opportunities for advancement.

 

 

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.

 

GFS site photoYou can follow me @agtinengagement.
Email me at g…@a…t.com.
Learn more about me at www.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: