Book Review: First, Break all the Rules
In the April 2002 edition of the Journal of Applied Psychology,
the Gallup Organization published research that proved unequivocally
that a more engaged employee is also a more productive employee.
The research also proved, that a more engaged employee is also a
more profitable employee, a more customer focused employee, a safer
employee, and an employee who is more likely to withstand temptations
to jump ship.
Gallup data also revealed that most organizations are still struggling
with this challenge reporting that more than 70 percent of U.S. employees
are not engaged at work. And through a process of interviewing more
than a million employees, posing an incredible 100 million questions,
and studying the performance of 2,500 business units, they found
12 questions, the answers to which determine whether an employee
is engaged and to what degree. Here they are:
1) Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2) Do I have the materials and equipment
I need to do my work right?
3) At work, do I have the opportunity
to do what I do best every day?
4) In the last seven days, have a received
recognition or praise for doing good work?
5) Does my supervisor, or someone at
work, seem to care about me as a person?
6) Is there someone at work who encourages
my development?
7) At work, do my opinions seem to
count?
8) Does the mission/purpose of my company
make me feel my job is important?
9) Are my co-workers committed to doing
quality work?
10) Do I have a best friend at work?
11) In the last six months, has someone
at work talked to me about my progress?
12) This last year, have I had opportunities
at work to learn and grow?
According
to Gallup and the authors of First, Break all the Rules;
these 12 questions are the simplest and most accurate measure of
the strength of workplace. If your employees consistently answer
these questions strongly in the affirmative, your organization is
powerful and your employees are motivated, committed and productive.
Pick up a copy of First, Break all the Rules by Buckingham and Coffman.
Trust me -- it is much more interesting than its title.
This
article was written by David L.
Perkins, Jr. He is a VERCOR partner,
M&A
Consultant, business appraiser and
editor and publisher of the national
newsletter titled The Business Owner.
Copyright © 2003
by David L. Perkins Jr.
All
rights reserved.