“Engagement surveys are venting in the form of a survey,” claims Cy Wakeman, best-selling author and global thought leader, in the latest episode of Workhuman Radio (you can click the player above to listen to the full 25-minute episode).
It’s a fair assessment, considering the global engagement crisis and hundreds of millions of dollars spent on employee engagement solutions. A major problem with engagement surveys, says Cy, is that they count every voice the same – employees ready and willing to add value and employees who just want to complain about their circumstances.
What I love about Cy is that she’s never afraid to question the status quo and offer a better solution. What if instead of trying to make employees happy (“that’s co-dependency,” says Cy), we call employees to greatness and create a culture of shared accountability? According to Cy, that’s the secret to engagement.
Here are my three favorite Cy quotes from this week’s episode:
- “The ego eats anger for lunch. It sees insult where there isn’t any.”
- “The power of an organization isn’t the hierarchy. It is the connection of the humans inside and outside the organization.”
- “Feedback should be short and self-reflection long.”
Another fun nugget – Cy shares a simple five-step approach to having a difficult conversation at work, which she learned in her time as a marriage counselor.
I hope you enjoy this week’s dose of Wakeman Wisdom. Happy Friday!
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