In most Employee Engagement Surveys we ask employees to rate the level to which they agree to the following statement: “I clearly understand my role and responsibility within this organization.” Another closely related question (statement) is, “The work I do plays an important role in the success of the organization.” These are important engagement questions, as they help assess the most critical driver of employee engagement: an employee’s understanding of their role within the larger picture of success for the organization.
The importance of this concept is demonstrated in the age-old parable of the stone-cutter in front of the quarry who is asked, “what are you doing?” To this question he replies, somewhat distantly, “I’m squaring up this stone.” The inquisitor then goes on to ask the next person the same question, to which the reply comes “I’m helping to build a great cathedral.” Clearly, the second stonecutter unmistakably understood his role in the success of the organization. He was also much more than a stonecutter-he was a part of a team that was building something much greater.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Many employees, rather than seeing their role as that of a contributor to a greater cause, see only their piece of the process.
Recently, I took a trip with my wife to a local supermarket to purchase items for an upcoming event. At the top of the grocery list were soft drinks. To our surprise, we had one of those rare occasions where the items we were looking for were on sale-and at a great price.
“All Pepsi products 2 for $1,” the display noted clearly.
Among other soft drinks, we purchased A&W Rootbeer and A&W Diet Rootbeer, which were usually priced at $1.48 each. Upon reaching the checkout counter, we watched as the bottles were scanned. Each rang up at the expected $.50 price until the checker scanned the A&W Diet Rootbeer. Never trusting the scanning process, my wife was watching carefully and caught the error. She called it to the attention of the checker, who appeared to be quite put out at my wife’s insistence that it be re-scanned at the correct price. The checker stated that the sale applied only to Pepsi products, and that she wasn’t sure that A&W Diet Rootbeer was a Pepsi product. I quickly pointed out that the non-diet A&W Rootbeer she had just finished ringing through was clearly noted as a Pepsi product and had been scanned at the expected $.50. Reason would have it, I explained, that the diet and non-diet version of the same product must be made by the same company. This appeared to further annoy the checker.
The checker, with little apparent concern for her role in serving the customer, looked for us to concede. She quipped that she would have to call for a price check. The price check was made, a manager was summoned to enter in an override code, and five minutes later the correct price was entered in. To this checker, serving the customers in front of her, thus making the store profitable, was not part of her job. Her “job” was to scan items, collect payment, and move the customer quickly out of her line. Her inability to make decisions based on the greater cause cost this store five minutes of a checker’s time, five minutes of a stock boy’s time, use of a busy store manager, and ultimately a customer (not to mention those in the long line behind us)- far more than the $.98 difference in price.
Ultimately, the success of an organization is the culmination of the successes of individuals within the organization. A lack of understanding as to how an individual plays a role in the greater picture leads to lack of engagement, which leads to poor performance. In order to ensure employee engagement, ensure the individual sees the big picture.
