Modern Management: The Balance Between Engagement And Performance

With the rise of high tech, advanced machinery and artificial intelligence, the workplace has moved from classical routine jobs to ones of innovation and creativity, where employers are relentlessly competing for hiring and retaining top talent. As a result, today’s managers have more responsibility than in the past. They are accountable for not only their team’s performance but also for their engagement and well-being. Managers now need to ask themselves - do my employees feel connected, enthusiastic, and included in the organization and its mission? Because of this, managers need to help their team achieve and sustain high performance and a sense of purpose at the same time. 

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Let’s take a look into the two concepts of performance and engagement

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Engaging employees is important for building a thriving company culture and for improving employee retention rates. However, one thing that often gets overlooked in the world of organizational performance management (OPM) is how performance management can help drive employee engagement. The two are interconnected, but they're also very different concepts: OPM focuses on evaluating how well an employee has performed their job duties over time; but when it comes to engagement, the focus shifts to how much they care about doing their job well.

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How are the two concepts linked? 

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Performance management systems can work well without employee engagement, but they will not provide the same results as an effective system that also supports employee-centric goals like increased productivity and innovation. Employee engagement initiatives success cannot be measured without clear expectations of what success looks like in terms of accomplishing business goals; metrics such as KPIs need to be based on how individuals contribute rather than just being focused on teams or departments (or worse yet - financial performance alone).

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Tips on improving both engagement and performance across your organization

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A well-designed performance management process can be a key driver of employee engagement when handled with care. In fact, it’s important to have a clear process that is easy for employees to understand, use and measure against. It should also be flexible enough to accommodate different situations so you can adapt it as your organization grows or changes. Finally, the process itself needs to be ongoing—not just annual—so that employees know they are always being evaluated by their manager and given feedback on areas where they could improve upon.

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While it's true that the term "employee engagement" has become something of a buzzword in HR circles, it is also an important concept to understand if you want to lead your organization effectively. Employee engagement isn't just about getting people excited about coming into work each day; rather, it's about providing opportunities so that they feel empowered to do their best work and feel valued as members of your team. It's one thing to have high performers who love what they do—and another thing entirely to have those same high performers feeling supported by leaders who recognize their value and encourage them along the way.

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To ensure your employees are feeling engaged in their work you could: 

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• Survey often

Insights from these surveys are highly valuable, especially when comparing the results of your team against benchmarks inside and outside your company. If you’d like to get started with your own employee engagement survey - book a demo of our platform today. 

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• Analyze the data and discuss it 

It’s important to look at the data that comes back from the survey and understand it. You could do this by openly discussing the results with team members and sharing guidance on necessary action items that need to be taken to improve upon the employee experience within your organization. 

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• Follow up and create change 

Taking action on what was discussed is a key component in winning employee trust and getting your employees to keep in regular and open conversation with you. 

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When you develop your employees and empower them to be the best they can be, it also creates a thriving work culture. When employees feel valued, appreciated and respected, this results in increased productivity, loyalty and happiness at work.

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This kind of relationship between an employer and an employee will ensure that both parties are getting the best out of this partnership. And when everyone is happy with their workplace situation; goals are achieved with ease.

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