The leadership role in engagement

At an Engage for Success event yesterday, it was clear how critical leadership is to employee engagement. With trust at an all time low (only 3 out of 10 employees trust their managers), how do managers rebuild trust?

David MacLeod and Nita Clarke were asked by the UK government to take an in-depth look at employee engagement and to report on its potential benefits for companies, organisations and individual employees. Their report, often referred to as the ‘MacLeod Review’, identified four key ‘enablers’ and in particular the role of an engaging manager who:

> Focuses people and gives them scope

> Treats people as individuals

> Coaches and stretches people

A key enabler is also about ensuring individuals have an employee voice to air grievances, make suggestions, provide feedback and contribute to the change which impacts them.

Finally, consistency of message and action – integrity – is also key.

This is not rocket science – you need to listen, you need to deliver on your promises and you need to coach and stretch employees.

See the Engage for Success website for more.