Satisfaction, Motivation, or Engagement: Where Should Leaders Focus?

by Connor Jordan

It’s common today for leaders to make the assumption that a happy employee is a motivated employee; which in turn means they are an engaged employee.  Is this the case?  If so, how is it measured?  If not, what is the alternative?

Where should leaders focus to get their employees engaged?

Satisfaction. Let’s first take a look at what it means to have an employee that is satisfied.  Satisfaction can come in a variety of forms from a variety of sources.  What causes satisfaction for one person may have no affect at all for another.  The baseline in measuring satisfaction can be as simple as looking at employee retention.  Key factors determining retention rates rely on pay, benefits, working conditions, and job security.  However, retention stats alone don’t tell much of the story, but we can assume that an employee that sticks around is at least minimally satisfied.  But, are they engaged?

Webinar Video on “Employee Engagement” - March 2012

Motivation. Now, when it comes to motivation we can look at different pieces to an altogether different puzzle.  Factors influencing motivation include job responsibilities, feedback and recognition, and the daily challenges of completing assigned tasks.  These factors all deal with how the employee actually performs on the job rather than how they feel about their job.  Generally speaking, when an employee is motivated, they work harder and do better. Simply being satisfied does not cause an employee to work harder. Conversely, being motivated does not directly correlate with being satisfied with the job. Employees may find their work interesting and challenging, but if they worry too much about being laid off, for example, they will not be motivated. So, if it’s not satisfaction, and it’s not motivation, then where should you focus?

Engagement. The challenge for leaders today is to be able and focus on driving employee engagement, rather than on satisfaction or motivation.  It may be true that satisfaction and motivation are both factors in determining engagement levels; however, leaders need to do more than simply keep their employees.  True engagement is what drives higher performance.  There are tools and techniques available for leaders who seek get the most out of those around them.

So what can leaders do?

First, set some goals. Employees need to have a clear understanding of what is expected.  Without clearly stating expectations employees will be left to making assumptions.  Once assumptions are made people then make their own decision on where to focus and to what degree.  You’ll end up with a wide disparity of engagement levels, unless you can provide the clear direction.  So, be sure to set some goals.

Second, frequently review the status against goals.  As part of your weekly staff meetings, reviewing your status creates an environment of transparency around what is being done, by whom and by due date.  When you shine a brighter light on activity, employees will feel the heightened sense of urgency in completing tasks.  Each employee will benefit by knowing if they are on the right track.

Third, provide feedback early and often.  Employees respond to continuous feedback whether critical or complementing.  Depending on the team and culture, leaders can earn big points when they publicly praise employees for a job well done.  And, if the need for some constructive criticism arrives, don’t focus on the employee, but rather on the expectation that was set.   If expectations are not being met, recognition that there is failure, without finger pointing, will reinforce the importance of reaching the previously stated goal.  So, be sure and keep everyone informed.

Employee satisfaction and motivation are secondary to employee engagement.  By focusing on goals, reviewing progress, and providing feedback, leaders can utilize a strategy that keeps employees focused and engaged.

Webinar Video on “Employee Engagement”

Connor Jordan on Twitter as @cjordan17

Comments are closed.