Billions of individuals, including yourself, are busy working. Many toil away in environments that are not supportive of their values, talents, and skills. And a small percentage of these individuals are flourishing.

What is the secret sauce for those who flourish?

Or could it be less of a secret sauce and more of a consistent, constructive effort on the part of all parties—leaders, people managers, human resources managers, and employees—to shape the organizational culture we all feel engaged? 

A tall order—yet very doable!

Although engagement is linked to performance (such as quiet quitting, performance appraisal scores, and turnover), it does not directly impact individuals’ performance; it is an organizational imperative involving all stakeholders.

Consider that you will veer off course as you experiment with how you want to interact with and within your organizational culture, given this is a huge learning experiment involving novel—and not so novel—concepts of working together harmoniously.

Be prepared for failure as new terrains are navigated.

In her book, The Right Kind of Wrong, Amy Edmonston writes, “Failures are all but guaranteed when uncertainty is high,” and experimentation is necessary to make progress.

Experimentation requires time, given the rapidly changing global and diverse workforce we are part of!

Engagement is a function of the cultural value-add—shaping the energy, behaviors, and attitudes over and above personal preferences and styles. 

It is important to understand how the organization’s stakeholders function and collaborate, while considering varying social identities and values, to serve the organization’s mission and values.

Strategies and ideas for enhancing employee engagement were discussed at BETA’s The Engagement Factor virtual event last month. 

After reviewing the Employee Engagement Framework below, consider how you are meaningfully engaged in your work life.