With all the commentary on the Knowledge Network about strategies to improve employee morale, I thought I would share with you the latest report from the Gallup organization on the state of employee engagement in the US.  Gallup has studied the American workplace--including governments-- for some time,  providing insights into what leaders can do to improve employee engagement and performance in their companies.

The report finds that bad managers and bad approaches to managing people have resulted in 70% of the US workforce being not engaged ("present, but not inspired") or actively disengaged ("roaming the halls and spreading discontent") , leaving only 30% of employees as engaged and inspired by the work that they do. 

Can we afford these levels of engagement--or lack thereof--in our workplaces?  Of course we can't!

Gallup describes key work that we can do to impact employee engagement.  This includes:

1.  Select the right managers. with the talent and skills for supporting, positioning, engaging and empowering employees.

2.  Coach and hold them accountable for employee engagement, recognizing that managers are primarily responsible for their employees' engagement levels.

3.  Measure the engagement of employees in your organization.  If you ask people what they think, they will expect action from you in return.

4.  Define engagement in realistic terms, weaving opportunities for engagement into the daily routine.

5.  Focus on engagement at the enterprise level, recognizing that the tone is set from the top down.

6.  Connect with every employee. Yes, every one is different, but we need to recognize that every interaction represents an opportunity to influence the employee affecting their engagement.

OK, what do you think about this?  Do you contribute to your employees' engagement or are there things you and your management staff should concentrate more  on to heighten engagement and morale in your organization?  Weigh in with your thoughts and great ideas   here, in the CMS Group, or on the Knowledge Network!