Transcript Identify & Reengage the Disengaged Storyboard

Practical IT Research that Drives Measurable Results
Identify
& Reengage the Disengaged
Introduction
Your pain: Disengaged employees cost you a lot of time and money. Identifying and turning them
around can be tricky. While it is easier to rely on organizational and departmental initiatives
implemented after an engagement survey, disengaged individuals are often hidden by survey
results and completely overlooked. One disengaged employee can have a negative effect on the
entire department and cost the organization a great deal.
Identifying and turning around an individual, who has become disengaged, is difficult but
imperative to the success of your department.
This solution set will help you:
Make the case.
Recognize that
disengagement is
prevalent in your
organization and
costing you a ton
of money.
Understand the
causes of
employee
disengagement,
as well as your
role as a manager
in addressing it.
Identify those
employees who
are disengaged or
are at risk of
being so.
Take action to
work with the
disengaged
employee to
reengage or cut
your losses.
1
2
3
4
The broad picture.
Be sure to read this set in conjunction with the
solution sets Optimize Employee Engagement
Surveys and Identify and Select Employee
Engagement Initiatives for a full view of the
engagement landscape.
This research is ideal for:
All levels of management at any
organization.
Human Resource representatives
looking to educate managers.
Executive Summary
• You have disengaged employees at your organization that are costing you. Engaged
employees have a significant and important role in an organization's productivity. Employees
who become disengaged have an equally significant and important role in an organization's
poor performance and high costs. The employee base of most organizations consists of 35% to
50% disengaged employees. Your organization likely falls into this distribution.
• You need to understand what makes up engagement to understand what causes it to
plummet. An employee’s engagement is made up of a variety of factors: personal disposition,
retention drivers (e.g. how much an employee is compensated), job engagement drivers (e.g.
being empowered in a role), and organizational engagement drivers (e.g. trust in the
organization’s senior management).
• As a manager, you play a leading role when it comes to individual engagement. While the
responsibility for engagement also rests on the shoulders of many stakeholders, if you aren’t
taking accountability for the engagement of your direct reports you are costing your
organization hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• Identify disengagement by using survey results as a tool, watching for common signs and
patterns, and heightening awareness around particular events that may act as triggers.
• There is no one step-by-step process that you can apply to every disengaged employee;
however, there are some effective guidelines you can follow when discussing issues with
employees. Being flexible and using judgment while working through the issues is critical.
McLean & Company
3
Roadmap
Managers, here’s your proof.
Make the
case for
individual
engagement
1
Understand
Identify
Take action
2
3
4
Next Section in Brief
• Between 35% and 50% of employees at an organization are disengaged at any one time.
• Organizational engagement surveys and initiatives address aggregate disengagement, but do not address
individual engagement. This is a dangerous and expensive distinction to overlook.
• Most managers don’t understand engagement, its importance, how to identify it, or their role in addressing it.
The result is they don’t identify disengaged individuals early enough to turn them around.
• Educating yourself on the causes of disengagement and how to identify and turnaround a disengaged employee
could save your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars, and result in a happy workforce.
Managers: Evaluate your attitude towards employee engagement
Do any of these common manager statements sound familiar to you?
x There is no handbook for how to help a disengaged employee.
x Everyone in my department is happy. After all, I don’t hear anyone complaining.
x I don’t have time for touchy-feely stuff. I’m a manager, not a “free hug” service.
x What people are really thinking and feeling day-to-day is a mystery. I have a hard
time identifying which employees are disengaged.
x Employee engagement is a “people problem,” which makes it HR’s problem, not
mine.
x Employee engagement is important, but not one of my top priorities.
x An employee’s engagement is completely up to them – it’s out of my hands.
x Employees whine too much. They just need to grow up and get a thicker skin.
x Some disengaged employees will cost us because they are A-players, but the rest
are dispensable.
McLean & Company
If so, STOP. Take a step back. Read this set.
A challenge of being a manager is you don’t always have a clear
process to follow. Engaging employees is one of those instances
Before we get started, it’s important you understand two things.
1. Turning around a disengaged employee is not a “1-2-3, A-B-C”
process that can be applied to everyone.
“
If I read another blog post with an 8 step formula on how to engage employees
at work, I think I’ll puke. There is no simple formula for anything at work,
especially something as complex as engagement.
- Dr. Bret L. Simmons
”
2. The first step to understanding a fuzzy process is to know what
the problem & solution actually look like.
An actively disengaged employee…
An actively engaged employee…
• Lacks the ambition to genuinely care about
their job or organization. While they may not
openly declare their dissatisfaction, their
attitude slips into negativity and affects their
work.
• Is stagnant in individual development and is
disinterested in organization goal-attainment.
• Is focused on personal gains as opposed to
team, departmental, or organizational best
interests.
• Has a clear sense of ownership, satisfaction,
purpose and pride in regards to their job.
• Is passionate about, committed to, and
contributes to their organization and its
goals.
• Is energized, enthusiastic and self-motivated.
• Is focused on the organization’s objectives,
not just their own.
• Functions as an ambassador for the
organization.
6
Think you live in engagement wonderland? Whether you know it
or not, you have disengaged people on your team right now
85% of individuals have changed from being engaged to disengaged at
some point in their career.
51% of these individuals whose engagement has deteriorated admit to
becoming very disengaged.
How many employees are disengaged at your organization right now?
Estimates vary, but everyone agrees that it’s too many.
McLean & Company
consolidated data
from a variety of
primary and
secondary sources to
determine the
following distribution
of employee
engagement.
McLean & Company
One disengaged employee could be costing your organization
hundreds of thousands of dollars. Managers, this is your problem
It pays to care about each individual’s engagement.
At a mid-sized professional services firm, one sales employee’s hidden disengagement cost the
organization over $207,000 in just three months. The firm let him go, citing under-performance.
The Facts
The Cost
The firm’s daily break-even
to cover operating costs:
Total sales people:
Individual daily sales quota:
Daily sales goal:
Annual salary :
$1,200,000
150
$8,000
$10,000
$40,000
(no commission)
Time passed as
disengaged:
Productivity:
Daily revenue while disengaged
$10,000 x 70%
Daily cost to the organization
Break-even ($8,000) -$7,000
Daily opportunity cost
Goal ($10,000) - $7,000 - $1,000
Total cost
65 work days
70%
Note: A disengaged employee typically operates
at 30–70% productivity. This particular
employee’s productivity varied, so a conservative
assumption of 70% has been used.
65 days x $1,000
Total opportunity cost
65 days x $2,000
Cost to replace employee
Estimated at 30% of salary
Total cost of disengaged employee
$65,000 + $130,000 + $12,000
$7,000
$1,000
$2,000
$65,000
$130,000
$12,000
$207,000
And we are just getting started. The firm considered, but didn’t
sum the additional intangible costs; the list was daunting
Direct costs & opportunity costs of a disengaged employee:







Base salary
Lost revenue
Lost productivity with increased sick days, leave days, shortened work days, etc.
Manager’s time spent discussing and documenting additional performance management
HR’s time coaching the manager and advising on legal implications
Opportunity costs (missed sales, disgruntled customers, delayed/unfinished projects)
Impact on other employees' productivity
Potential costs if the disengaged employee leaves the company:
Current employee leaving
Direct Costs:
 Administrative materials
 Applicable litigation or
relocation costs
 Severance pay
Time Invested:
 Exit interview conducted
 HR system and administrative
updates
 IT deactivating account
 Redirecting inquiries
(email/calls)
 Reclaiming company property
Recruiting and hiring replacement
Direct Costs:
 Job postings (social media,
online listings, newspaper
listings)
 External recruiters’ salaries
 Travel, accommodation, meals
 Administrative materials
Time Invested:
 Screening/contacting applicants
 Multiple stages of interviewing
 Background/reference checks
 Contacting unsuccessful
candidates
Onboarding/training replacement
Direct Costs:
 Administrative materials
 Set up costs (computer,
phone)
Time Invested:
 On-boarding hired
candidate
 Training hired candidate
 Adjustment time for new
employee (before
reaching expected
productivity)
Even if you understand the value of engagement, you probably
can't spot a disengaged employee
The same mid-sized professional services firm investigated how many of their employees were
disengaged. It first polled their employees through an employee engagement survey, and then
asked each manager to identify the perceived engagement level of each of their employees.
Only 37% of managers guessed right!
Why are managers so far off the mark?
• An employee may be engaged in their role, but seriously
dissatisfied with the organization. Joy in the job is much
easier to see day to day and can mask more persistent
negative undercurrents.
• Disengagement is easier to ignore or dismiss as something
minor than it is to actively address.
• Subtle clues may be hard to spot. For example, a normally
quiet employee who is disengaged can easily slip under the
radar while silently looking for another job.
• Many managers are not plugged in to the grapevine. Peers
communicate grievances with one another that they
typically hide or downplay with their bosses.
Why doesn’t the manager’s opinion add up to 100%? The manager’s
opinion bars show only the percent of managers who guessed their
disengaged or engaged employees right. The discrepancy is the result of
those managers who thought their employees were engaged when they
were in fact disengaged, or disengaged when they were actually engaged.
And if you do spot disengagement, you may mishandle it.
Managers make mistakes around responsibility & assessment…
Are any of these common mistakes familiar to you?
Responsibility Mistakes
For example…
• Blame the employee.
“He just needs to develop a thicker
skin.”
• Taking on the responsibility
of solving the problem on
your own.
“I’ll deal with this. You just pretend
it never happened.”
• Going beyond sympathy to
full-on commiseration.
“I can’t believe this happened to
you. This really makes me mad.”
• Abdicating the responsibility
to HR.
“Engagement is the mandate of HR
and the exec. It’s an organizationwide problem I can’t solve.”
• Over-focusing on the
employee’s ownership over
their own engagement.
“Let’s focus on what you did to
contribute to this outcome and what
you should have done instead.”
McLean & Company
Assessment Mistakes
• Overestimating the level of
disengagement and
smothering them with
concern.
• Diminishing or dismissing the
employee’s concerns.
• Pretending you understand
when you don’t.
Continued…
11
…as well as timing, communication, action plan, and
follow-up mistakes
Are any of these common mistakes familiar to you?
Timing Mistakes
• Doing too little, too late. At
some point, the employee
will reach the tipping point
where they are no longer
“re-engageable.”
• Pressuring the employee to
act (or let you act) when
they’re not ready yet or
don’t want to.
• Not cutting your losses
quickly when re-engagement
is clearly not an option, or
cutting your losses too
quickly when re-engagement
is a possibility.
Communication Mistakes
• Avoiding the conversation
and waiting for the
employee to approach you.
Action Plan & Follow-up Mistakes
• Using a cookie-cutter
approach.
• Talking to the employee’s
peers or colleagues about it.
• Not setting expectations
around your chances for
resolution.
• Getting too personal with
questions e.g. “Does this
have anything to do with the
divorce you are going
through?”
• Bribing the employee if you
think they’re a flight risk.
Offering more money may
just insult them or be a
short-term fix.
• Assume the employee has
turned around after the
initial conversation and stop
following up.
Continued…
McLean & Company
12
Roadmap
People won’t stop talking about it: engagement. What exactly is it?
Make the case
for individual
engagement
1
Understand
Identify
Take action
2
3
4
Next Section in Brief
• Disengagement is caused by triggers in any or all of the job, organizational, or retention drivers.
• There are four levels of engagement within the McLean & Company Engagement model, ranging from
actively engaged and plummeting to actively disengaged.
• While the employee ultimately owns their engagement, as a manager you play a vital role in keeping
employee engagement in check by understanding and watching for signs of disengagement. Leverage your
executive and HR, as well as others, in identifying issues with engagement.
Review McLean & Company’s engagement program methodology
to get a grasp on what engagement actually is
Overall
Engagement
4
Job
Engagement
1
Job engagement & organizational engagement
make up an employee’s total engagement and
Organizational
are built once the basic needs have been met.
Engagement
Engagement Drivers
3
2
Overall engagement is made up
of multiple factors.
Employee Empowerment
Development
Rewards & Recognition
Culture
Customer Focus
Company Potential
Co-worker Relationships
Department Relationships
Manager Relationship
Senior Mgmt Relationship
Engagement Drivers: Distinct levers that drive
the engagement. The left drivers are driven
by manager trust, and the right drivers
by senior manager trust.
Retention Drivers
Compensation
Benefits
Working Conditions
Personal Disposition
Emotional Outlook
State of Mind
Natural Tendencies
Retention drivers: Minimum
requirements for engagement, but
alone can’t engage an employee.
Personal disposition: The lens
through which a person sees
their world.
See McLean & Company’s Employee Engagement Program for more information.
McLean & Company
14
Understand the four levels of engagement as a starting point
4 Levels of Engagement
Your employee engagement survey gives you a broad-based measure of engagement. You need to
zero in on the specific individuals that make up that broad measure.
Actively
Engaged
The raving fan
Engaged
Happy-go-lucky
Not
Engaged
Indifferent
• Has a clear sense of ownership, satisfaction, purpose and pride in
regards to their job.
• Passionate about, committed to, and contributes to their
organization and its goals. An organization ambassador!
• Energized, enthusiastic and self-motivated.
• Focused on organization’s objectives, not just their own.
• Satisfied with the role and committed to the organization.
• Motivated to go the extra mile from time to time.
• Feels a sense of purpose and pride in their work.
•
•
•
•
Not proud of the organization.
Puts in sufficient time to meet minimum requirements.
Does not feel a sense of purpose or pride in their work – it’s “just a job.”
Indifferent or apathetic to work-related issues or events.
Your focus. These employees are costing you greatly.
Actively
Disengaged
The hater
• Lacks the ambition to genuinely care about their job or organization. While
they may not openly declare their dissatisfaction, their attitude slips into
negativity and affects their work.
• Is developmentally stagnant and disinterested in organizational goals.
• Is focused on personal gains as opposed to team, departmental, or
organizational best interests.
Disengagement can crop up in one or more of
the following drivers
Job engagement drivers
Employee Empowerment
Development
Rewards & Recognition
Co-worker Relationships
Manager Relationship
Examples
I don’t understand how my work contributes to the company’s success.
There have been too few growth and advancement opportunities in my role.
No one recognizes when I go above and beyond.
I can’t relate to any of my co-workers.
My manager micromanages me even though I am more experienced than her.
Organizational engagement drivers
Culture
Customer Focus
Company Potential
Department Relationships
Senior Mgmt Relationship
I
I
I
I
don’t have the power to help my customers when they aren’t happy.
have no understanding of the organization’s strategic direction.
don’t know what it is that other department’s do each day.
don’t trust any senior managers because I don’t know them.
Retention drivers
Compensation
Benefits
Working Conditions
“
I am not paid enough to cover the bills.
I don’t know what’s included in my benefits.
There is no where to eat my lunch in my
Overall
workplace.
Engagement
The chemistry of individual
engagement is complex.
– CEO, BlessingWhite
McLean & Company
”
Job
Engagement
Organizational
Engagement
Engagement Drivers
Retention Drivers
Personal Disposition
So, now you have a better idea of what engagement is. Let’s talk
about what your role is, and where you can rely on others
For a successful result, shared ownership of engagement is imperative.
The Manager
The owner of the relationship with the
employee.
The Employee
The owner of their own engagement level.
Executives
Human Resources
The creator of a culture that supports
engagement.
The facilitator of an engagement program
(on an individual and aggregate level).
For more details around each of these roles, read on.
McLean & Company
17
Managers: Understand your role in individual engagement.
You own the relationship with the employee…
As a manager, employee engagement is part of your job description
even if it’s not explicitly written out.
The Manager
Employees won’t necessarily stick around for a good
manager, but they will leave because of a bad one.
 Be attentive and proactive. Once an employee decides to leave the organization due to disengagement, it
is likely too late to reengage them.
 Be vigilant when events occur that could negatively affect an individual’s engagement.
 Help the employee align their individual passions and talents with organizational objectives.
 Get to know employees. Understand their skills and unique engagement drivers.
 Coach your employees. Career development and training are engagement drivers. Coaching is also an
opportunity to get to know employees, build rapport and relationships, and recognize disengagement.
 Set expectations with employees. Ensure they understand that they own their engagement.
 Take control of your own engagement. If you are disengaged, your employees will notice and follow suit.
 Self assess. Reflect on your own influence on employee behavior. The 2011 BlessingWhite Employee
Engagement Report determined that managers aren’t doing the things that matter most, namely:
recognizing and rewarding achievements and building a sense of belonging in their department.
 Gain the trust of your employees. Employees who trust their managers are more likely to be engaged.
…while the employee owns their engagement, and
their reaction to situations
Every employee has the choice to not play the victim.
Managers can’t realign the stars. Employees need to
be masters of their own engagement destiny.
The Employee
 Employees need to understand and
communicate their own values, interests, skills
and goals.
 Employees should initiate conversations with
managers, ask for coaching, and talk to managers
if they are feeling disengaged.
 Employees should take control of their own
destiny: seek clarification, understanding and
action.
 Employees should take a moment when it’s
needed to reflect on their role, expectations and
outlook.
“
A lot of it is personal. There are things that
happen in the organization that start the ball
rolling, but you allow the snowball to get bigger
and worse. There is nothing anyone can say to
turn you around until you make the conscious
decision to alter your mindset.
– A reengaged employee after
8 months of disengagement.
”
How does selfreflection help?
An employee who is able
to take responsibility for
their own thoughts,
feelings and reactions is
personally empowered –
they actually feel more
in control of their own
work life, which in itself
is a major driver of
engagement.
Leverage your executive & HR team: They play an indirect role
in individual employee engagement
Executives
Human Resources
A role review for executives:
A role review for HR:
 Engagement starts at the top. Take all HR
priorities seriously, especially engagement.
Establish an organizational culture that places
importance on engagement.
 Facilitate the employee engagement and reengagement process.
 Identify and work to reengage any of your own
disengaged managers.
 Coach your direct reports that are managers on
how to maintain engagement and spot
disengagement. Conduct “manager once removed”
meetings where you talk to your direct reports’
employees.
 Practice what you preach. You can’t advocate for
engagement without making it a priority yourself.
 Prove the importance of individual engagement
management and senior management. Leaders
respond well to evidence.
 Support the manager through their resolution of
employee engagement problems.
 Don’t take on the employee’s or the manager’s
problem – remain objective.
 Ensure the manager knows that employee
engagement is part of their job responsibilities.
 Set a tone such that a single negative employee
action doesn’t put a “Disengaged” stamp on their
forehead.
 Don’t be the monkey in the middle. You are not an
advocate for the employee. Your role is to coach
and counsel the manager to understand how to
manage the employee.
 Work with other executives to keep a finger on the
organization’s engagement pulse at all times.
 Investigate and escalate if needed if it appears
that the manager may be the cause of the
employee’s disengagement.
 Act as a steward and champion of the overall
employee engagement process.
 Work with the executive team to keep a finger on
the organization’s engagement pulse at all times.
Case Study: Sometimes it takes more than one party to flip an
employee from disengaged to engaged
Open, honest dialogue leads to common understanding and an opportunity to resolve concerns.
Scenario
From the employee’s perspective
I know I was very critical in the workplace. Everything was a problem and I
made sure everyone knew it. I had recently been promoted and my former
position wasn’t filled. I felt like I was doing two jobs, and neither very well. I
started looking and received an offer with another organization.
From the manager’s perspective
Until recently he had very strong performance reviews; however, after his
promotion he was performing okay, but not great. His previous responsibilities
superseded the new ones likely because he was comfortable with them. He
was closed off during our 1-on-1’s, but was very vocal in group meetings.
Action Taken
The manager realized they weren’t having good conversations in their 1-on-1’s,
so he started taking the employee out of the office for their meetings. He
listened as the employee surfaced legitimate concerns and saw things from the
employee’s perspective. The manager encouraged the employee to speak with
a few of the senior leaders in the organization. Together they determined that
the role needed to be redefined and expectations clearly set.
Impact
The employee appreciated everyone’s concern. While initially skeptical, he
realized they had his best interests at heart, and started to better understand
what was expected of him. He spent a lot of time self-reflecting. The
employee decided to stay on the promise that the situation would change.
“
I really had to turn it around
because I was miserable. I
decided that I had to leave or
get my stuff together.
- Marketing Manager, Public
Relations Firm
”
“
The initial conversations were
more about listening and less
about sharing. There was
learning for myself and others
out of this.
- Marketing Manager’s
Manager, Public Relations Firm
”
“
I went from nearly walking
out the door to being the most
engaged I have been since I
started here.
- Employee
Public Relations Firm
”
When it comes to understanding engagement & the roles
involved, remember these three things
1
Disengagement can result from triggers in any or all of the job, organizational, or retention
drivers. There are four levels of relative engagement, and your biggest concern is those
employees who are actively disengaged.
2
While the employee ultimately owns their engagement, you as the manager play a vital role
in understanding the factors that affect employee engagement, and keeping that
engagement in check on an individual and aggregate level.
3
Leverage your executive, HR and management peers in identifying issues with engagement.
They play a crucial role in setting organizational attitudes around employee engagement,
pointing out brewing problems you may have missed, and resolving challenging or sensitive
situations.
McLean & Company
22
Roadmap
An employee doesn’t wear an “I’m disengaged” t-shirt to work.
Make the case
for individual
engagement
Understand
Identify
Take action
1
2
3
4
Next Section in Brief
• An employee swings in and out of different engagement levels over time. One bad day doesn’t mean that the
employee is disengaged. Be aware of the fluctuations, but don’t act on them until you notice a clear
pattern.
• Most managers have a disengagement spotting toolkit at their disposal: leverage survey results, every day
interactions, your knowledge of each employee, and your understanding of common personal and
professional triggers that may push them towards disengagement.
• Recognize that your speculation is just speculation. Even if you pay close attention to each employee, you
may get it all wrong and assume they are disengaged when they are not.
First, give yourself a reality check: Try to place each of your
employees within the four levels of engagement
Most managers think that far more of their employees are engaged than really are.
Most of an organization’s employees typically fall into the following distribution:
Actively
Engaged
Engaged
Not
Engaged
Actively
Disengaged
5% – 15%
45% – 55%
30% – 40%
5% – 10%
• Frequently volunteers to
take on extra tasks.
• Takes pride in their work
and in the organization.
• Rarely complains.
• Is enthusiastic and selfmotivated.
• Highly involved in the
company.
• Innovative and
generates ideas to
better the company.
• Sometimes volunteers to
take on extra tasks.
• Takes pride in their work
and in the organization.
• Complains infrequently.
• Seems satisfied with
their role, but not overly
enthusiastic.
• Participates in
organization or team
events.
• Puts in sufficient time •
to meet minimum
requirements.
•
• Does not volunteer for •
extra tasks.
• Complains occasionally.
• Is not self-motivated. •
• Rarely participates in •
organization or team
events.
•
Does not meet
requirements frequently.
Appears “checked out”.
Complains about role,
organization, manager
and peers.
Is reserved and quiet.
Does not participate in
organization or team
events.
Puts in time, but not
effort or passion.
If you have more disengaged employees and less engaged employees, you
need to acknowledge that disengagement is costing your department.
If you have more engaged employees and less disengaged employees, are
you sure you are being realistic?
McLean & Company
24
Understand an employee’s engagement lifecycle to identify
triggers that may plummet an employee to disengagement
The reality check will get you to think about the engagement level of your employees
right now. However, disengagement is cyclical and you need to keep an eye on it:
someone who is engaged today may not be tomorrow.
Typically, disengagement is a cumulative build-up of events, followed by a
breaking point. An employee dips in and out of engagement over time. Then, one event acts
as a shock or realization, causing the employee to plummet into active disengagement. The
engagement lifecycle of one employee could look like this:
Employee is engaged
when they join the
organization.
Engaged
Employee gets
negative
feedback.
Overwork causes Manager hasn’t
work-life
talked to the
imbalance.
employee in weeks.
Employee doesn’t
get expected
promotion.
The straw that breaks
the camel’s back.
Disengaged
Actively
Disengaged
Don’t be hyper-sensitive to these events – this is part of the ebb and flow of
engagement. A conversation regarding disengagement is not required here, but a
heightened sense of observation needs to be put into play. Ensure you are keeping the
lines of communication open through regular interactions.
25
Use all the tools available to you to identify disengagement
annually, every day, and following trigger events
Disengagement Spotting
Toolkit
Annually
• Employee
engagement survey
results
Macro level: Engagement
surveys give you an overview of
the aggregate results and
trends. It’s a measurement.
Everyday
• Knowledge of
employees
• Everyday interactions
• Noticeable patterns
Trigger events
• Knowledge of
professional and
personal events that
may impact employees
Micro level: As a manager, you need to look at it on an
individual level. An individual’s engagement is hidden in
the results of a survey. Checking engagement isn’t a
once a year thing – it’s continuous.
26
Leverage the results of your employee engagement survey as a
signal and reminder to pay attention to individual engagement
Some companies have implemented organization-wide employee engagement surveys,
resulting in some solid engagement improvement initiatives. It’s not enough.
A survey has limitations when it comes
to individual engagement:
• It is anonymous.
• Not everyone fills it in.
• Individual results are hidden in the collective
results.
• It only depicts the engagement level for one
moment in time.
• To a certain extent, employees may skew
their answers positively (e.g. don’t want to
get in trouble for complaining) or negatively
(e.g. employee is having a bad day).
Refer to the solution set Optimize Employee
Engagement Surveys.
McLean & Company
However, you can still use the survey on a
micro level by asking yourself:
• Are you getting a good response rate without coercion?
Highly disengaged and highly engaged employees are
most likely to jump on the survey.
• Are there outliers in either direction? Even if the outlier
is a positive one, could that person be uncomfortable
being honest?
• Are there any individuals who are not participating in
the post-survey engagement initiative brainstorming
sessions or demonstrating apathy around participating?
• If the survey shows poor results, you should take it as a
sign to pay closer attention to the everyday signs and
symptoms. Use the data to target specific aspects of
engagement so observations are more focused and
valuable.
27
Get to know your employees: Discuss engagement focused topics
to get a handle on how they’re doing
Get to know your employees.
Their goals.
Engaged employees’ goals are aligned with the organization’s and they work toward
achieving them. Identifying their goals will allow you to help them do this.
Their strengths.
Engaged employees feel that they contribute. Leveraging their strengths to better the
department and organization will leave them feeling productive and important.
Their dislikes.
There are things employee dislike that you just don’t have control over. Understanding
these will help you to proactively work with the employee to minimize the impact.
Their life.
Get to know the employee on a personal level (as long as they’re comfortable with it).
It can build trust and rapport, improving communication.
Biweekly, spend 10 minutes of your coaching conversation or 1-on-1 with the employee asking
questions specific to engagement. Spend the rest of the time gauging it for yourself.
 Ask about their job satisfaction – what they like, don’t like, etc.
 Talk about job engagement and organization engagement – get a feel for their
happiness and commitment levels.
I believe very strongly in personal
 Express, offer and demonstrate your support.
 Ask the employee what they need from you.
relationships and personal rapport with
 Ask about the employee’s talents and skills.
your employees. You need to understand
 Talk about the employee’s contribution to the
how they communicate, how they interpret
company’s success.
what you say, and what makes them tick.
 Talk about their goals and priorities in their role.
- IT Manager, Professional Services Firm
 Ask if they have any questions for you.
“
McLean & Company
28
”
An employee doesn’t wear an “I’m disengaged” t-shirt to work:
Use everyday interactions to gauge engagement
Engagement isn’t static. It can change quickly. Continuously gauge individual employee’s
engagement through the following group and individual interactions.
Feedback
Employee either receives feedback with little reaction or gets
defensive.
Organizational/
operational
messaging
Employee does not participate, show interest, or get involved in
organizational discussions or events.
Coaching
Employee is increasingly less interested in their development goals
and career progression within the company.
Issue
Management
Employee is becoming very vocal and is getting frustrated more
often than usual about common issues faced by the employee or
organization.
Collegial
conversations
Employee is much less social and collegial towards you and his/her
peers.
Motivational
messaging
Employee is skeptical at your attempts to be motivational
and questions your intent.
Often, it’s not
what the
employee is
saying, it’s
how they are
saying it…or
what they’re
not saying at
all.
Refer to the
storyboard,
Train Managers
to Effectively
Communicate at
Every Touch
Point to Improve
Performance.
The grapevine. Use it, but don’t abuse it. Your peers, staff, HR, and pretty much anyone
hanging around the office can provide you with valuable information about one of your staff.
Listen, absorb, and keep it in mind, but don’t immediately approach the employee with it unless
you have observed it yourself. Getting grapevine info is an opportunity and a risk if you don’t act
with caution, discretion and integrity.
29
Showing up late once doesn’t mean an employee is disengaged.
Signs of disengagement are sustained: watch for patterns
Some common disengagement patterns:
 Demonstrates an exaggerated sense of dislike for a manager, executives, peers
and the organization.
 Finds any way to sneak out of work early.
 Increased interest in working from home.
 Increased absenteeism.
 Shows up late for work.
 Spends time working on personal, non-work related activities.
 Feels and/or expresses that everyone they work with is incompetent.
 Changes from having a generally good attitude to a generally bad attitude.
 Reduced productivity.
 Continuously misses deadlines.
 Doesn’t volunteer for work-related tasks.
 Avoids helping teammates with their tasks.
 Never goes above and beyond the call of duty.
Once they
became
disengaged,
employees
admitted
that…
Keep in mind:
Any one of these
signs should not
cause alarm or
lead to false
assumptions. These
signs should be a
signal to set up a
conversation, not
to label the
employee as
disengaged.
N = 137
Source: McLean & Co.
Recognize triggers of disengagement. An employee who flip flops
can permanently fall off the deep end as a result of one event
Proactively seek to confirm the engagement status of anyone who’s undergone the following:
Triggers of job
disengagement
Employee Empowerment
 Contributes ideas that were ignored
 A bad project: too hard, pointless
 Low autonomy or loss thereof
Development
 Struggling in new role after promotion
 Change in job responsibilities or scope
 Negative feedback
Rewards & Recognition
 No promotion or bonus
 Negative performance review
Co-worker Relationships
 Underperforming teammate
 Bad performance of others ignored
 Loss of a valued teammate
Manager Relationship
 Management shake up
 A disengaged manager or supervisor
McLean & Company
Triggers of organization
disengagement
Culture
 Changes in geographical location
 Union changes
 Merger and acquisition
 Implementation of quality/performance
standards (i.e. becoming ISO compliant)
Customer Focus
 Changes in branding
 New customer service policy
Company Potential
 Deployment of new product/service line
 Organization performing poorly
 Wide scale change in strategic direction
Triggers of retention
disengagement
Compensation
 Did not receive a
raise
 Peers received larger
raise
Benefits
 Changes to plan
Working conditions
 Burn out
 Work and life
imbalance
 Safety compromised
Department Relationships
 Change in departments’ leadership
Senior Mgmt Relationship
 New CEO or other senior executive
 Change in leadership behavior/reputation
 Flattening of the organizational ladder
31
Case Study: At times, there are no disengaged signs or patterns.
Understanding triggers will allow you to still be proactive
Don’t wait for the employee to reach their breaking point. Be proactive and
recognize when an event may have an impact.
Situation
Action
An A-player at a consulting firm received
a poor project performance review. She
showed no signs of being affected by it.
A manager who knew the employee
well approached her in a group setting
and casually asked how she was doing.
It became clear that she wasn’t only
upset about the project, but also
disheartened about the organization, her
role and her superiors.
“
Pain Points
This employee’s engagement level
wasn’t obvious, but it was
plummeting fast. If you know
your employees, you’ll be
able to be proactive. If you are
proactive, you’ll catch
disengagement in time.
-Manager, Consulting Firm
”
McLean & Company
“
Impact
Once the manager realized the extent of
disengagement, he immediately took the
employee out of the group setting into his
office. He let her vent. He got her to
consider her role by asking, “What would
you do differently next time?” This didn’t
help, so the manager told her about a
similar experience he had years ago. He
shared his frustrations, but also his
lessons learned.
Key Success Factors
The employee left with a
commitment to follow up,
not necessarily change.
However, after going home
and thinking about what was
said, she e-mailed her
manager the next day to say
she had learned a lot from
their impromptu meeting and
felt better about the review.
The Last Word
I didn’t have to observe a symptom
of disengagement to take action. I
just had to know the employee
well enough to know this could
affect her. If I had waited, one of
my strongest reports might have
reached a non-resolvable point.
-Manager, Consulting Firm
”
“
There is a power in
understanding the situation.
Show the employee you’ve been
there, you’ve made it through,
and you understand where they
are coming from.
-Manager, Consulting Firm
”
32
Heighten awareness around certain events in
an employee’s personal life
There are natural points and events in people’s careers and lives, both positive and negative, where
they are more likely to become disengaged. Consider age, level and tenure characteristics.
Pay attention when:
 An employee has been at the organization for
1–3 years or in a role for 1-3 years.
 Employee is a Gen-Y. The BlessingWhite 2011
Employee Engagement Report shows that
those born 1978-1994 are the least likely to
be engaged.
 Employee holds a lower-level role where they
do not contribute to strategy decisions or
work with clients.
 An employee has had a milestone birthday.
“
What goes on
during that
1–3 year period?
Many employees
are close to
mastering their
duties and they
decide to settle
in or move on.
I once had three employees come to me on
different occasions all within the same month.
After speaking with them individually, I
determined that all three had just recently had
milestone birthdays and were going through a
bit of a mid-life reflection.
- HR Manager, Technology Firm
”
33
Case Study: Recognize that disengagement can be a result of
personal factors so that you can take appropriate action
If disengagement is caused by factors outside of the workplace,
being supportive and empathetic can help turn things around.
Situation
Action
Impact
An employee had been with an
organization for 15 years and in his
role for five. He had recently
celebrated his 40th birthday. He was
feeling dead-ended, found trivial
things annoying and was generally
unhappy. His wife had just had a
promotion and he felt that he wasn’t
reaching the same level of success in
his career. His performance was good,
but not stellar.
The employee initially indicated
that he was okay, but after further
probing from his manager, he
admitted that he wasn’t feeling
enthusiastic about the role
anymore, but wasn’t sure what he
wanted to do. The manager
suggested that the employee call
their employee assistance program,
which offered a career counselling
program.
The employee realized that he
was very well suited to the
role he was currently in and it
really met all the conditions
for satisfaction in his ideal job.
After some self-reflection, he
realized that his issues were
about a personal phase he was
going through, not the job. It
was the right environment for
him after all for the long-term.
Pain Points
“
Sometimes disengagement
has nothing to do with
what’s happening in the
workplace and everything to
do with what is happening in
the employee’s life.
- HR Manager, Technology
”
McLean & Company
“
Key Success Factors
Be empathetic with your
employee’s and be prepared to
refer them to others who can help.
You may not have all the expertise
or answers required to help them.
Show your support while they work
things out.
- HR Manager, Technology
”
The Last Word
“
People’s lives ebb and flow at
work and outside. Helping an
employee through a rough
patch can result in a long
lasting loyal relationship.
- HR Manager, Technology
”
34
Use your toolkit to contemplate and collect facts,
not to speculate & act too soon
Managers often speculate that a problem is due to an employee’s disinterest. In reality, it could be
about something that is inherently wrong with the workplace.
Speculation
Real cause
Regularly late
Lazy. Just can’t get up in
the morning
Bored and unchallenged with
current project
Employee
empowerment
Doesn’t volunteer
Doesn’t care
Doesn’t feel hard work on a
recent project was recognized
Rewards & recognition
Takes long lunches
Taking advantage of a
flexible work environment
Workload is unreasonable
and is causing burnout
Working conditions
Performance has
dropped
Was passed over for a
promotion and is angry
An issue with a co-worker
has been ignored
Co-worker relationships
Absenteeism
Social life is impacting
work
Organizational changes have
caused stress and uncertainty
Company potential
Symptom
Driver affected
If you speculate incorrectly and act on that speculation, a disengaged employee might be
ignored, or you may form an action plan that doesn’t address the real issue.
The next section walks you through how to have a conversation with the
employee to ensure that even if you speculate incorrectly, you will discover the
underlying issue as a team.
When it comes to identifying those employees who are
disengaged, remember these three things
1
You may be missing some serious cases of employee disengagement – most managers do.
Remember that disengagement is cyclical and cumulative – not only do you need to
continuously keep an eye on it, but you also need to be careful not to overreact to every
instance of employee unhappiness you see.
2
Getting to know your employees as people and interacting with them daily are the most
powerful tools in your disengagement-fighting toolkit. By applying these tools, you’re more
likely to notice negative changes in behavior and understand the factors that might be
influencing those changes.
3
Be aware of the types of workplace or life events and personal characteristics that make
employees more prone to disengagement. Know to raise your vigilance levels when you spot
these events or characteristics manifesting.
McLean & Company
36
Roadmap
“My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions.”
- Peter Drucker
Make the case
for individual
engagement
Understand
Identify
Take action
1
2
3
4
Next Section in Brief
• Create a safe environment for the employee to encourage him or her to be honest and comfortable.
• Have a conversation to confirm your suspicions, understand the situation. Explain your observations and
intentions, identify and prioritize the underlying issues as a team, and commit to an action plan to fix the
problem.
• Sometimes an employee’s disengagement isn’t resolvable or their problem is out of your control. You need to
evaluate whether or not it makes sense for you to keep them around, or cut your losses.
• You must follow-up on what was discussed, or the employee’s engagement level may plummet further.
Once you have identified an employee as potentially disengaged,
it’s time to have a conversation
This is four-step process will not be right for every situation.
Each piece is an essential component to consider when sitting down to a conversation
to discuss an employee’s disengagement.
The following slides walk you through these four key components.
McLean & Company
38
Meet Hugh, Debra and Louis. Use these examples to better
understand how a conversation and action plan can play out
As we walk through each step in the conversation, we’ll check in to see how each
of these disengaged employees are responding.
Hugh (‘A’ Performer)
• Hugh is an A performer.
• Hugh is a knowledgeable and participative teammate who has many ideas.
Debra (‘B’ Performer)
• Debra is a B performer
• Debra always asks for extra work and enthusiastically puts in the time to get things
done. She’s an ambitious go-getter.
Louis (‘C” Performer)
• Louis is a C performer
• Louis is very social and outgoing, but he tends to waste too much time. His
performance reviews are getting worse as a result.
McLean & Company
Follow these three disengagement stories through each stage of this section.
Prepare for the conversation
Prepare, but don’t
over-prepare.
 Up until the conversation,
document what you see so
you have clear examples
that demonstrate the
reasons why you are
meeting with the
employee.
 Don’t over-prepare. The
employee could be put off
if they think you have been
spying on them.
 Set expectations around
objectives of the
conversation. There’s no
need to prepare a meeting
agenda. This should be a
fluid conversation.
However, setting your own
objectives in advance will
act as a reminder once you
are in the meeting.
Make the decision to
have the conversation.
 Don’t be a chicken, take the
initiative. Waiting for the
employee to approach you is a bad
idea – they may never. Only 30% of
managers get the guts up to
actually initiate the conversation
themselves. It’s easier to ignore,
but it will cost you and your
organization.
Plan the logistics.
 When? Speak to the employee
as soon as you spot
disengagement. It does not
need to be a formal or planned
conversation.
 Where? In person is best, and
one-on-one is imperative.
Inviting them into a common
room – a small meeting room or
going out for coffee – is a good
neutral place to have this
conversation.
 How? Envision and plan for all
possible outcomes. See the
next slide to get you started.
 HR’s involvement? If you think
you’re walking into a sensitive
situation, inform HR and get
their advice.
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Ideal reactions are rare: Plan for a variety of
outcomes when it comes to the employee’s reaction
What If…
Then…
The employee asks for the
impossible?
Ensure that you understand what the employee is really asking
for. If it is truly impossible, be honest and explain that you
won’t be able to meet their demands.
What if the employee wants to
be left alone to sort it out?
Reiterate your support. If you have an employee assistance
program, provide them with the number. Determine a
timeframe to reconnect.
The employee denies that they
are disengaged?
Confront the fact that even if they aren’t disengaged, there is
a problem that is causing you to bring this up (e.g. absenteeism
or reduced productivity). Express your desire to identify the
root issue (even if it’s not disengagement) and offer support.
The employee gets offended,
defensive or angry?
Reassure the employee that you only want to help them and
that you are concerned about them. Restate your observations.
Be sincere.
The employee says their
problem is with you?
Don’t get defensive. Ask what the issue is and hear the
employee out. Do they have a valid concern? Determine if they
are earnest or merely deflecting. If deflecting, see above.
The employee goes to HR or
over your head?
The ideal situation is when the employee comes to you first,
so hear them out. If they go to HR or your manager, don’t get
offended. Listen to the concerns and reassure all involved that
you are interested in resolving the situation.
McLean & Company
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Prepare: Hugh, Debra and Louis’ respective bosses get wind of
their disengagement and lay the groundwork.
Hugh (‘A’ Performer)
• Hugh’s teammates have found him unusually quiet for the past month. When they ask
for his input, he says he’ll go along with whatever they want to do. One of his
teammates asks their boss, Donna, if Hugh is okay. This change is news to her.
• Donna pays closer attention to Hugh’s behavior. After a few days, she invites Hugh to
a coffee shop around the corner for a chat about how he’s feeling about his job.
• Donna thinks Hugh will say everything is fine and hedge, but will ultimately open up.
Debra (‘B’ Performer)
• Sandra (Debra’s boss) notices that Debra is punching the clock – arriving at 9:00,
leaving at 5:00. Debra seems irritated when given extra tasks above her regular ones.
• Sandra informally tracks Debra’s hours to confirm the new pattern. She decides to ask
Debra about her changed work habits during their next weekly one-on-one meeting.
• Based on recent behavior, Sandra expects Debra to get irritated and defensive during
their meeting, and possibly get angry.
Louis (‘C” Performer)
• Louis has been talking to everyone about his recent bad review. He’s even less
productive than usual, and is distracting his co-workers with his complaints.
• Louis’ boss, Frank, hears about Louis’ comments from a range of people. He needs to
act quickly and decisively. Frank schedules a meeting with Louis for that afternoon
• Frank consults with HR prior to the meeting to review his options and finds that Louis
has already been there to lodge a complaint. This meeting could get confrontational.
McLean & Company
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Have the conversation: Set the right tone within the first 30
seconds or risk being tuned out
Use the following guidelines when conducting the conversation.
Use your knowledge of the individual.
Create a positive environment.
• Recognize that individuals perceive things
differently. Consider the employee’s personality
traits when deciding your tone, the amount of
pressure you’ll apply, and the words you will use.
“
As a manager, you need to understand the
person’s perspective, where it comes from and
how they are going to interpret what you are
saying. You need to be able to communicate with
them, and that means you have to understand
how they are hearing you.
– IT Manager, Professional Services
Ask questions.
”
• Get their view of the situation before giving
yours.
• Avoid “why.” The employee may feel they are
being judged.
• Ask open-ended questions to get more from
them.
• Start off slowly. Put on more pressure only when
it’s required; for example, if they aren’t being
very forward. Give them a chance to speak up
instead of drilling them with questions.
• Assume the best of others. Be curious going
into the conversation instead of angry or
annoyed. The intention is not to put the
employee on the defensive but instead show
a genuine concern.
• Make sure your body language is neutral.
• Create a safe environment.
Refer to the next slide to learn more
about creating a safe environment.
Do some talking too.
• Use cautious words like “I’m not sure if you
know this, but you are coming across as upset.”
• Use facts, not opinions, to make your point.
Facts should be about the behavior, not the
individual.
• Avoid generalities, such as “I always see this.”
• Gauge self-awareness. Ask, “What do you think
are the reasons A and B are happening?” instead
of placing blame by saying, “I’ve noticed lately
you’ve been doing A and B.”
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Empower the employee to participate by
creating a safe environment
The book Crucial Confrontations speaks to the importance of a safe environment. People are
comfortable talking when there is safety – it prevents anger, defensiveness and silence. It is your
responsibility to create this safety. Follow these “safety-creating” tips and tricks.
Tips, tricks and safety.
Examples
Greet the employee.
Don’t act too seriously or give the employee the
impression they are in trouble. Thank them for
their time.
“Thanks so much for quickly
meeting with me. I really
appreciate it.”
Share your intention.
• Explain why you are
meeting.
• Set expectations for what
the conversation will
entail.
Establish mutual purpose or a common ground.
What’s important to both parties? Demonstrate
that you care about their goals.
Envision what the employee might conclude. Use
contrasting statements – explain what you don’t
mean as well as what you do mean.
“This is not a performance
review, feedback discussion
or anything that will be
reflected on your PA. This
discussion is all about your
satisfaction with your
current role.”
Explain your
observations and ask
for theirs.
Explain the gap between what was expected and
what was observed. Explain the results and
consequences of the gap. Use facts.
“This is what I am seeing”
instead of “This is what you
are doing.”
Defensiveness means the employee’s safety is
threatened. If this happens, move away from the
issue for a moment.
“What happened?” instead
of “Why did you do that?”
Listen as much as talk. Hear their point of view.
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Identify, prioritize and agree on the underlying issues
Tips, tricks and safety.
Identify the underlying
issue, together.
• Take your time. Don’t
rush or jump to
conclusions.
Prioritize and agree on
issues.
• Analyzing the
consequences helps to
determining what is most
important to discuss.
Examples
Be concise. The issue should be condensed to a
single sentence to ensure it is clear,
understandable, and focused.
Diagnose the root of the issue: Is it a skill or
will issue, or is it an issue with a person? It
may be a non-work related issue (i.e. they’re
distracted, not disengaged).
Analyzing the consequences helps to
determining what is most important to discuss.
Focus on one issue at a time. Consider
seriousness, time-sensitivity, what’s important
to the employee, and what is controllable.
“Do you have what
you need to do your job and
know what is expected of you?”
“Is there something going on
that I should be aware of?”
“How would you do x, y or z?”
“What are the consequences
of this problem to me and
you, to our relationship, to
the task, to any other
stakeholders?”
There is a significantly higher likelihood of a
successful result when it comes to
disengagement if the employee has a
manager that understands the reasons
behind the disengagement. This
demonstrates to the employee that you care
about them and their contribution.
McLean & Company
Note: A successful
result was classified
as individuals who
remained at the
organization and
became reengaged.
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Recognize when the employee’s disengagement is irresolvable &
cut your losses
You have agreed on the underlying issue. Before turning to action, go back to the
engagement methodology explained earlier to ensure the issue is resolvable.
If the issue is a result of a personal disposition, it is likely
uncontrollable and therefore not resolvable. However, there
are some occasions where issues not related to personal
disposition can’t be resolved…
As a result of Personal Disposition
• The employee places blame on your shoulders and
isn’t prepared to work with you to find a solution.
• The employee has a bad attitude; never satisfied.
• Performance continues to be impacted and you’ve
approached the employee multiple times, yet they
won’t tell you what the problem is.
As a result of Retention Drivers
• Employee is making demands that can’t be met or
you aren’t prepared to meet.
As a result of Organizational or
Job Engagement Drivers
• The employee would really be better suited to a
different position.
Overall
Engagement
McLean & Company
Despite your best efforts to resolve the
situation, it’s clear that you and the
employee aren’t going to come to a
resolution. Now what?
 Depending on whether you have/need a
replacement, you most likely need to
cut your losses. Follow your
organization's termination process.
 If you aren’t ready to let the employee
go, but their performance continues to
be a problem, follow your performance
management process. Involve your HR
team in determining options for next
steps.
 If the employee is engaged with the
company, and the problem is at the job
level, consider whether it would be
reasonable to redeploy the employee to
a better suited area.
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Case Study: Know when to say no and how to let it go
Sometimes you just can’t give the employee what they want.
Situation
Action
Impact
An employee had been in the
field of information technology
for a number of years. He was a
mid-tier performer; not stellar,
but reliable. On several
occasions, the employee
requested a pay increase
indicating that he was worth
more and would leave if he
couldn’t have a raise.
The manager invited the employee to
a one-on-one meeting and had an
honest conversation with the
employee. After explaining how
salaries were determined, the
manager indicated that the employee
was well placed in the salary range
and no salary increase would be
given. The employee responded that
he would find a position elsewhere.
After considering the impact, the
manager felt that he was willing
to take the chance for the sake
of equity in the team. Had the
employee been one of his
strongest direct reports, he
might have handled it
differently. Finally, after a long
two years, the employee found
and took another position.
“
Pain Points
Key Success Factors
In this situation, I didn’t agree
with the employee’s position and
felt the risk to the overall team
equity was important. I knew he
wasn’t underpaid in the market,
so it was almost a challenge to
him to find another job.
- IT Manager, Insurance
McLean & Company
”
The Last Word
“
I was willing to cut my losses on
this one. He was an okay
performer, but not outstanding.
I also made sure that I had
someone else cross trained on his
role so I wouldn’t be left with a
hole if he quit.
- IT Manager, Insurance
”
“
Nothing was going to change
this situation without
creating a bigger problem
elsewhere. Sometimes you
just have to say no and take
the consequences.
- IT Manager, Insurance
”
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Have the conversation: Each respective manager sits down with
Huge, Debra and Louis to identify the underlying issue
Hugh (‘A’ Performer)
• Donna asks Hugh directly how he’s feeling about his job. When he says “It’s okay,” she
lets him know that his recent withdrawal and lack of enthusiasm have her concerned.
• With additional probing, Hugh admits that he’s feeling ineffective and is spinning his
wheels. He has lots of ideas on how to make things better, but they’re rarely
implemented. He simply doesn’t have the clout to make them happen on his own, and
he’s frustrated.
Debra (‘B’ Performer)
• Sandra says she’s noticed that Debra is keeping different work hours. Debra tenses up,
stating that she’s doing the job she’s paid to do. Sandra agrees, then indicates Debra
doesn’t seem to be enjoying her work anymore.
• Debra says that no matter how hard she works, it’s not getting her anywhere, so why
bother. Sandra asks where Debra wants to go with her career. Debra’s explicit about
wanting a promotion – isn’t it apparent that’s why she worked so hard for so long?
Louis (‘C” Performer)
• Frank cuts to the chase and says he wants to revisit Louis’ most recent review. Louis
looks smug thinking Frank got in trouble with HR, until Frank restates his assessment.
• Louis vigorously expresses that the review was harsh and that his talents are being
wasted. Frank asks Louis what he has to offer the company that they’re missing out on.
• Louis describes a dream job that is not, and will never be, available at the company.
Frank tells him this, then lays out the options: master his current job, look for a
different job in the company, or pursue his dream elsewhere.
McLean & Company
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Commit to action: For resolvable issues, start
discussing a solution using the SCRE model
Be flexible: As you learn new information or eliminate potential issues during your
conversation, consider the SCRE model to determine next steps:
SET
Expectations
CLARIFY
RESOLVE
ESCALATE
Have expectations been clearly set
with the employee?
Understanding
If expectations are set, do you need to
clarify to ensure the employee
understands?
Concerns
If expectations are set and clear, do
you need to resolve concerns?
Issues
If concerns aren’t within your ability to
resolve, escalate the issues so that
they can be addressed appropriately.
Action Plan
Some tips
& tricks…
• Admit and be confident in the fact that you don’t have all the answers.
• If another problem comes up while you are working on one problem, you need to
consider which one is a priority. Focus on one problem at a time.
• Set expectations for what you can do as a manager.
McLean & Company
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Get on the same page: Set and agree on an action plan
As a team, write a an action plan that addresses what, how, who, and when.
Objective
To resolve life/work
imbalance
Tactic
By whom
By when
Rewrite job description
John (manager) and
Colleen (employee)
March 1
John with HR
March 15
John and Colleen
March 20
John and Colleen
April 20
Review job description
with HR
Review as a team,
implement new role
Follow up meeting
88% of managers don’t build
action plans to reengage with
employees, missing out on a key
opportunity to reengage them.
When managers help their
employees to build an action plan to
reengage them, employees are 68%
more likely to reengage.
Why is manager
involvement important?
McLean & Company
Establish commitment
Set timeframe
• A manager may have the power to eliminate necessary barriers facing the
employee. The manager can’t do anything about a barrier if they don’t
participate in the plan building.
• Building a plan together is essentially like building an accountability
contract. If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t count.
• The manager is an important reality check – they may be aware of things
that can help or hinder the employee in achieving their goal. If the plan is
left entirely in the employee’s hands, it will likely not be implemented.
Plus the employee might see the manager’s lack of involvement as them
not caring.
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Commit to action: All parties agree on &
commit to an action plan
Hugh (‘A’ Performer)
• Donna and Hugh discuss specific areas of his job where more decision-making and
execution authority would be helpful.
• Donna realizes granting authority to Hugh alone may single him out, so they also discuss
the impact of increased authority for the team as a whole.
• They decide to call a team meeting to have the team decide where they’re willing and
able to take on more authority. Donna expresses her trust in them and support.
Debra (‘B’ Performer)
• Sandra commits to supporting Debra’s development and ultimate promotion.
• Together, they identify specific proficiencies Debra needs to master in order to get to
the next level.
• Sandra and Debra identify specific training and in-the-field opportunities to increase
Debra’s knowledge, exposure and experience.
Louis (‘C” Performer)
• Louis still disagrees with the review. He doesn’t like any of Frank’s options, but decides
to stay in his current job.
• Frank tells Louis that he must stop discussing his feelings about his review with his
colleagues – it’s having a negative impact on morale and productivity. He also outlines
that Louis’ performance must improve as per the review.
• Frank follows up the discussion with a recap e-mail to get it in writing. Louis makes no
commitments to change.
McLean & Company
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Case Study: Develop a joint action plan to bring the employee
off the disengaged ledge
Giving negative feedback is never easy. Be proactive and recognize when a performance
review can have a negative impact even when intentions are good.
Situation
Action
Impact
An employee within the HR department at an
insurance firm was performing his role at an
acceptable level; however, the manager
believed the employee was capable of far
more. This was important as the employee
wanted a promotion. After receiving a “meet
expectations” on his review, the employee
was angry and offended. He was not open to
discussing the feedback and went to the
manager’s manager to complain.
The manager approached the
employee and indicated that
she knew he was unhappy;
however, her goal was to help
the employee get a promotion.
She suggested that they work
on an action plan together to
help the employee achieve this
goal.
Once the employee
understood his manager’s
intentions were in his best
interests, he eventually
calmed down and approached
his boss for help. Together, the
manager and employee
committed to the action plan.
Pain Points
“
Key Success Factors
The employee had a really hard
time understanding that he
wasn’t meeting my expectations
for a role that he was technically
overqualified for.
-Manager, HR
”
McLean & Company
“
In the end, once he understood
that I really had his best
interests at heart and was trying
to help him achieve his goals, he
came around.
- Manager, HR
”
The Last Word
“
It was a difficult time. I could
have lost an employee with a
ton of potential, so handling
this with empathy and
building an action plan was
critical.
- Manager, HR
”
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Following up is the last & most important step in re-engaging
an employee - don't drop the ball after one conversation
Great! You've identified a disengaged employee, have identified their issue, and created an action
plan to resolve it. Don't waste your hard work and the employee's sanity by not following-up.
If you drop the ball when it comes to follow up, the employee will likely become more
disengaged then they were to start with. This is the point where employees can transition from
disengaged to actively disengaged. If this happens, your chances of turning them around are slim.
Understand that this may take multiple conversations.
Disengagement is not a one shot solution.
Beware the backslide…
Critical!
• Engagement backsliding will likely occur.
• Reinforce the employee's ownership
over their own re-engagement –
they are not a passenger in this
process.
• When an employee is disengaged, usually
their trust in you or the organization has
been damaged in some way.
• Trust takes time to rebuild. During this
time, the employee may be overly reactive
to setbacks or be suspicious of the actions
and intentions of others.
• Predictability and integrity on the manager's
part is critical.
McLean & Company
• The employee will have to do some
work of their own by meeting you
half way and making a concerted
effort to stop demonstrating the
behaviors that got you concerned in
the first place.
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
Follow-up: Time passes, but the commitments made are
followed up on. Progress is discussed and evaluated
Hugh (‘A’ Performer)
• Hugh’s team establishes new limits of authority. They define issues where Donna must
be consulted. She reinforces expectations on the increased accountability that comes
with increased authority.
• Donna observes the next few team meetings to gauge progress on the new way of
doing things. She sees a very positive effect – it’s like a spark has been lit.
• Donna touches base with Hugh to see how he’s doing. Good news! He’s clearly excited
about his job again and has already successfully implemented some quick wins.
Debra (‘B’ Performer)
• Debra and Sandra use their weekly one-on-one meetings to track Debra’s progress,
amend development objectives, and pick new stretch goals.
• They extend their weekly meetings so Sandra can provide some hands-on soft-skills
coaching.
• Debra has the will and work ethic to succeed – she just needs Sandra’s direction,
support and investment. Debra is now on a clear and predictable path up the ladder.
Louis (‘C” Performer)
• Louis continues to complain about his review and Frank. His performance does not
improve. Frank realizes Louis does not want to do this job and can’t be turned around.
He decides to cut his losses.
• Frank puts Louis on a performance improvement plan, and begins succession planning
for the role.
• There is no change in Louis’ behavior, and he is ultimately fired.
McLean & Company
Prepare
Conversation
Action
Follow
up
When it comes talking to potentially disengaged employees, and
setting a course of action, remember these three things
1
Don’t let disengagement fester – get on it immediately. But first, be sure to get your facts
straight, envision the possible outcome, and create a positive and safe environment to talk
about the employee’s concerns.
2
Not all employees will be forthcoming about their concerns. Probing questions are critical to
getting to the real cause of their disengagement, but remember that the conversation is not
intended to be an inquisition either. Getting the employee to accept their share of the
responsibility for re-engagement without feeling blamed is part of the goal.
3
Following up is everything. Resolution will not happen overnight, and may take several
conversations. Beware: if you commit to action and don’t carry it out, you will erode trust
and drive the employee’s disengagement even deeper.
McLean & Company
55
Conclusion: So, where are we now & where are we going?
• The employee base of most organizations consists of 35% - 50% disengaged employees, and
each of these employees can cost their organization hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Understand how many disengaged employees are in your organization and build strategies to
address the situation.
• An employee’s engagement is made up of a variety of factors that fall under three categories:
personal disposition, retention drivers, and engagement drivers.
• Although the responsibility of engagement rests on the shoulders of many stakeholders, as
the manager you play a leading role. While others can help you by sharing their concerns and
observations, take personal accountability as a manager for knowing and supporting your
employees.
• Identify disengagement by watching for common signs and symptoms, getting to know your
employees, and heightening awareness around particular events that may act as triggers. Pay
close attention to new patterns of behavior in order to catch disengagement before it’s too
late. Don’t underestimate the effect of events inside and outside of the work environment on
your employee’s engagement level.
• Resolving employee disengagement is not a structured, cookie-cutter process. However, using
the four key components of a good conversation will help you work with the employee to turn
around disengagement. Take the time to have a thoughtful conversation and commit to an
action plan that you can support.
McLean & Company
56
Appendix
McLean & Company
57
List of Resources
The following resources were used to compile the information contained in this research report.
Many sources were used for information gathering purposes only.
Buckingham, Marcus, and Curt Coffman. First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers
Do Differently. Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Clarke, Nita, and David MacLeod. Engaging for Success: Enhancing performance through employee
engagement. UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2009.
Endres, M. Grace, and Mancheno-Smoak, Lolita. The Human Resource Craze: Human Performance
Improvement and Employee Engagement. Organization Development Journal; Spring 2008; 26, 1;
pg. 69; ABI/INFORM Global.
Gable, A. Shelley, Seung Youn Chyung, Anthony Marker, and Donald Winiecki. How Should
Organizational Leaders Use Employee Engagement Survey Data? Performance Improvement, vol.
49, International Society for Performance Improvement; 2010; pg. 17 - pg. 24; www.ispi.org.
Lockwood, R. Nancy. Leveraging Employee Engagement for Competitive Advantage: HR’s Strategic
Role. SHRM® Research Quarterly, 2007.
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Covey, S. R. (2002). Crucial conversations: Tools
for talking when the stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill.
McLean & Company
58
Primary Sources Methodology
In 2010, McLean & Company engaged in three primary research activities to discover
the successes and challenges of the employee engagement survey process as well as to
solicit experiences on engagement initiatives implemented as a result the survey.
1. In June, July, November, December 2010 and January 2011 we conducted indepth interviews with HR professionals, business leaders in chief executive roles,
managers, and employees to learn about employee engagement surveys and
initiatives.
2. In June and July 2010, we fielded surveys to better understand the factors that
influenced the successful outcome of an employee engagement survey in various
organizations. The survey attracted over 140 respondents.
3. In November and December, 2010 we conducted 10 brainstorming sessions with
staff from three organizations to test brainstorming processes and solicit
initiative ideas. Over 100 employees took part in these brainstorming sessions.
4. In January 2011, we fielded a survey, polling 137 employees (no managers), to
better understand their level of engagement, their experience being disengaged
in their career, as well as the signs and symptoms they demonstrate when
disengaged.
McLean & Company
59