1. Engagement – Practical Tools For Tough Times
Russell Grossman
Russell Grossman
ABC, FCIPR , FCIM, FRSA,
DipPR(CAM), ABC, FCIM, FRSA, MCIPR
###@engage4success
Director of Communications, UK Dept for Business
Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Director of Communications,
Director, Engage For Success
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Incoming International Chair, IABC
russell.grossman@bis.gsi.gov.uk
russell.grossman@bis.gov.uk

2. Russell Grossman
2008 : Dept for Business, UK Government - Director of Communications
2006 : HM Revenue & Customs - Head of Internal & Change Communications
1999 : BBC - Head of Internal Communications
1997 : Royal Mail - London Director of Communications
1996 : Nichols Associates - Senior Consultant
1994 : Jubilee Line Extension - Public Relations Manager
1993 : Riverbus - Marketing Manager
1988 : London Docklands Development Corp - Head of Information
1986 : London Docklands Development Corp Exec Asst to Development Director
1983 : Greater London Council Press Officer
russell.grossman@bis.gsi.gov.uk

3. Context for why engagement matters

4. Some less
than
engaged
staff….

5. In 2008 the
UK Government
commissioned
David MacLeod
to find out
if there was a link
from engagement
to growth
via productivity
Our story
begins….

6. The MacLeod Report on Employee Engagement
After…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
8 months
30 consultation events
5 regional events
60+ case studies
255 submissions and reports
300 on-line responses to call for evidence
50 definitions of engagement
.......MacLeod concluded there was a strong link
This report is at http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file52215.pdf

7. Active Disengagement In Action

8. Engaged Employees = Top Company
MacLeod found engaged companies gave:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
better financial performance
better outcomes
higher levels of innovation
more employees advocating their organisation
lower rates of absenteeism
employee well-being
Critical for getting through the recession

9. Does Employee Engagement Matter?
•For the individual
– higher levels of wellbeing
– a more satisfying workplace
•For the organisation
– better productivity and financial performance
– higher levels of innovation and advocacy
•For UK plc
– recession, growth, global challenge
– world of work changing: death of deference, greater expectations
– competitive advantage
9
9

10. Engage for Success : Provenance
• Taskforce Launched By UK Prime Minister in March 2011
• HRDs and Comms Directors from UK’s top organisations
– To raise the profile of the topic
- To shine a light on good practice
- Members from across the economy
- public, private and third sector,
- manufacturing, retail, finance and services,
- large and small organisations and trade unions

11. ‘Engage For Success’
“Engage for Success believes that
employee engagement is about
releasing more of the capability and
potential of people at work……and
creating the conditions to unleash the
full potential of people at work.”
11

12. Engage for Success : >60 Companies, >2000 Active Practitioners
OVER TWO MILLION WORKERS REPRESENTED

13. EMPLOYEES WANT TO BE ENGAGED
Here’s a short film
Source : Engage For Success, UK

14. http://www.engageforsuccess.org/

15. “Employee engagement is about how we create the conditions in which employees
offer more of their capability and potential” – David Macleod
•
www.engageforsuccess.org

16. sub groups and SIG’s
Barriers
Innovation
Investors
Organisational
integrity
Cross-cultures
Third sector
engagement
Making the internal
business case
Sub Groups
Well-being
Social media and EE
GURU SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Future of
engagement
Leadership and
engagement
Engaged
thinking
Communicate
for Success
Authentic employee
engagement
Engagement in
SMEs
Linking EE to
other metrics
EE & passenger
transport
CSR and EE
EE measurement
and analysis

17. Engage for Success : Evidence
WHO WE ARE
•94 per cent of the world’s most admired companies believe their efforts to engage their
employees have created a competitive advantage (Hay).
•64% of people said they have more to offer in skills and talent than they are currently
demonstrating or being asked to demonstrate at work.
(Populus survey conducted in the UK in October 2012)
•Companies with high and sustainable engagement levels had an average one year
operating margin that was close to three times higher than those with lower engagement
(Towers Watson, 2012)
•85% of the world’s most admired companies believe that efforts to engage employees has
reduced employee performance problems (Hay 2010).
•70 per cent of the more engaged have a good understanding of customer needs as
against only 17 per cent of the disengaged (PwC).
•Our evidence is supported by academic research, and by research houses such as Towers
Watson, Kenexa, Hay, Aon Hewitt and Gallup. It also comes from case studies compiled by
many leading companies and organisations.

18. Engage for Success : Evidence
WHO WE ARE
• Most countries have an employee engagement deficit.
• In the UK, only around a third of workers say they are engaged, placing
the UK ninth in engagement levels among the world’s twelfth largest
economies.
• Australia is one better – eighth - on the same scale
• The loss in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) performance and
productivity this waste represents in the UK : c£26 billion ($AUD48bn) per
year.

19. Employee Engagement By Country : 2012
Source : Kenexa 2012 : THE MANY CONTEXTS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT A 2012/2013 KENEXA® WORKTRENDS™
Median margin of error across countries is +/- 3.

20. Four Key Enablers KEY ENABLERS : 1. STRATEGIC NARRATIVE
THE FOUR
1: Strategic Narrative
Strong, visible, empowering leadership provides a strong strategic narrative
about the organisation, where it’s come from and where it’s going.
The past
You are here
The future
This gives a line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision.
The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly.

21. Four Key Enablers KEY ENABLERS : 1. STRATEGIC NARRATIVE
THE FOUR
1: Strategic Narrative

22. Four Key Enablers
1: Strategic Narrative
Typical story framework: - the six questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
Why are we here, what is our role in the world?
What are our strengths, achievements, challenges?
What should the future look like?
Whose needs are we satisfying (customer / client / citizen)?
How will we get there – what values do we want to apply?
What is our personality?
Line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision.
The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly.
22

23. Four Key Enablers
1: Strategic Narrative
BIS is going through this exercise at the moment with “WHY?” consultants
Line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision.
The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly.
23

25. Four Four Key Enablers
Key Enablers
2: HavingHaving Engaging Managers
2: Engaging Managers
They……
focus their people,
offer scope and enable
the job to get done
treat their people as
individuals
coach and stretch their
people

26. Four Key Enablers
2: Having Engaging Managers
Reasons to not:
“Spare me another **** HR/comms initiative”
“Don’t you know there’s a recession on?”
“I’ve not got time for the soft and fluffy stuff”
Plus
Command and control
Micro-managing
Takes time, application, consistency and effort
And beware……
“We did the survey so we’ve done the engagement”
26

27. Four Key Enablers
2: Having Engaging Managers
Communication in organisations, especially in changing
times, is a
behaviour of leadership and a transfer of energy
It’s not about spewing lots of corporate messages to staff
Are we helping leaders transfer energy?
Is that energy positive?
How does it feel – for them and for you?

28. 2: Having Engaging Managers
Four Key Enablers
Two Levels of engagement
LEVEL 1 – TRANSACTIONAL
“We act on employee feedback through survey”
Compartmentalised Thinking
Territory, Market
Sector Strategy
NB:
STRATEGY FOR:
IT; ESTATES; CAPITAL
ETC
EMPLOYEE / HR STRATEGY
 Do survey & act on it, eg
 leadership
 communications,
 ‘feel proud’ etc
 CIPD: 75% of Employee Engagement focused as above
 Reactive engagement. About discretionary effort

29. Four Key Enablers
2: Having Engaging Managers
Two Levels
LEVEL 2 – TRANSFORMATIONAL
“It’s a way of running a top company”
WE TRACK
PROGRESS OF
STRATEGY
“ONE PAGE”: Market Sectors, CA,
Country, Positioning Strategy AND
Values/Behaviours to deliver it
TWO-WAY
WE MEASURE: Concerns,
commitment, feedback
People at heart of
delivery and at
heart of strategy
People help
shape
strategy
People give
continual
VOICE
NB:
 A belief that people are the
solution, not the problem
 CIPD: 25% of Employee Engagement focused as above
 About proactive engagement
29

30. TRANSACTIONAL….OR TRANSFORMATIONAL?
Transactional or transformational?
Transactional engagement
•
•
A set of activities or targets
Usually focussed around a survey
Transformational engagement
• Employees integral to developing and delivering the business strategy
• Requires deep belief in the power of people to contribute
• new and creative products/services
• Outstanding customer/client service and efficiency
• A belief that our people are the solution, not the problem

31. Four Key Enablers
2: Having Engaging Managers
This means that to be effective you often have to be…..
• the grit in the oyster…
• without being the pin in the balloon…
• and the jester at the court of King Lear

32. Are you in and visible?
Or are you invisible?

33. “does she
really get
“the guy
talks
regularly
to me
about this
still so I’ll
go with it”
our
“anyone
can do
this, who
is this
timewaster?”
“I’m willing
to listen and
be
persuaded”
business?”
“all good
ideas, but
actually my
experience
differs”
“Whatever.
Can we get
on with the
P&L risks
discussion
please”
How does the management team feel about communications
before you arrive in their room?

34. You also need…..
And you need to have….
Judgement, Resilience, Courage, Intuition, Leadership,
Tenacity, Good Grace
And, very often, a sense of humour

35. 1. Get yourself in the right places at the right times
2. Lead, don’t follow, don’t just stay where you’re put
3. Actively advocate the communications practice
4. Think creative, be optimistic, push boundaries
5. Don’t struggle alone, work with others
6. Know how to say no nicely – be ‘sympathetically repulsive’
7. Join a professional org : eg IABC!!
8. Strive for the best team you can get, avoid compromises
9. Use LinkedIn effectively
10. Get enough sleep (you cannot delegate this one)
11. Know your value and have the evidence to defend it

36. Always do the reality check

37. try not
to look like this….
….all the time
(or at least when anyone
else is looking)

38. Four Key Enablers FOUR KEY ENABLERS : 3. EMPLOYEE VOICE
THE
3: Employee Voice
There is employee voice throughout the organisation, for reinforcing and
challenging views; between functions & externally; employees are really seen
as your key asset – not the problem.
This voice is informed. Views sought early / followed up; explanations given if
ideas not adopted. Collective voice matters – TUs etc part of the architecture
38

39. In practice
3: Employee Voice
• Employees’ views are sought out; they are listened to and see that their
opinions count and make a difference.
• They speak out and challenge where appropriate
• A strong sense of listening and responsiveness permeates the
organisation, enabled by effective communication.
• This voice is an informed one –not just a ‘tea and toilets conversation
• Views are sought early and followed up; explanations are given if
ideas/views not adopted.
• Trade unions/staff representatives are part of the engagement
architecture – collective voice matters
This voice is informed. Views sought early / followed up; explanations given if
ideas not adopted. Collective voice matters – TUs etc part of the architecture
39

40. 3: Employee Voice
Voice is only effective:
• if it is heard
• If it is informed
• If it is proactive
• If it is adult to adult
BUT
NB!!!
• If it is seen to make a difference
• If it influences the future - change
SURVEYS only scratch the surface of voice. They tell you (depending on the
questions) WHAT people may be thinking. THEY DON’T TELL YOU WHY 40

41. Five dimensions to target......
Credibility
“Management keeps me informed about important issues and changes”.
“I believe management would lay people off only as a last resort”.
Respect
“I am offered training or development to further myself professionally”.
“Management shows appreciation for good work and extra effort”.
Fairness
”Everyone has an opportunity to get special recognition”.
“Promotions go to those who best deserve them”.
Pride
“I’m proud to tell others I work here”.
“People look forward to coming to work here”.
Camaraderie
”People care about each other here”.
“This is a friendly place to work”.
…for a productive workforce

42. UK Civil Service
24 Government Departments
330 Arms Length Bodies
440,000 staff
54% engaged (October 2013)
I am proud when I tell others I am part of my organisation
I would recommend it as a great place to work
I feel a strong personal attachment to it
It inspires me to do the best in my job
It motivates me to help it achieve its objectives
42

43. Four Key Enablers ENABLERS : 4. ORGANISATIONAL INTEGRITY
THE FOUR KEY
4: Organisational Integrity
There is organisational integrity – the values on the wall are
reflected in day to day behaviours.
These expected behaviours are explicit
and bought into by staff.
Keep it real – staff see through corporate
spin quicker than customers or the public.
Integrity enables trust: no engagement
without trust
This gives a line of sight between the job and the organisation’s vision
The story is communicated clearly, consistently and constantly

44. Four Key Enablers
3: Employee Voice
Questions?
russell.grossman@bis.gsi.gov.uk