Other factors, such as clear goals, strong vision and the ability of leaders to make decisions, may play a more important role. That is also the reason for the success of leaders such as Steve Jobs who lack fundamental requirements for making employees engaged, for example emotional intelligence.
Another problem associated with employee engagement is that too much of it makes it a problem for the company. An interesting article from the Harvard Business Review magazine highlighted the following four greatest risks when levels of employee engagement get too high.
1. Resistance to change
Employees who feel a long-term satisfaction with their work often refuse anything new because they are happy with things as they are. Frustrated and disgruntled employees, on the other hand, are more creative if they receive proper support. Engaged employees may become arrogant and lose the ability of self-criticism.
2. Burnout
Highly engaged employees are often so focused on their work that they forget about their private life. They suffer from family and relationship problems more often, which may gradually lead to health problems. The fact that somebody perceives his work as fun and fulfilling doesn't mean that the person can't burn out.
3. Discrimination against certain personalities
Engagement doesn't only depend on circumstances, but also on personality. Optimists and extroverts tend to be more engaged, regardless of the circumstances. However, if companies only hire naturally happy people, they won't automatically get better performance. They'll only lose pessimistically minded introverts who may have helped them. Companies should count on the fact that different personality types perform best in different contexts of work.
4. Underestimation of negative thinking
Companies need positive as well as critical thinking to succeed. They should seek to enhance employee engagement and morale not just by focusing on the positives. They need to understand the benefits of negative thinking. Timid pessimists, for example, tend to perform better because they are better prepared and work harder. When someone has doubts about himself, he is more strongly motivated to achieve his goals.
Can you take a more balanced perspective on employee engagement? All employees can't be treated equally.
-kk-