innovation
Addressing the
Engagement Challenge
THE POWER OF MEANING IN WORK AND ORGANIZATION
By Ken Ludwig and Reg Urbanowski
Those concerned with building organizations
have long recognized
the primary place of meaning,
usually expressed in terms of purpose,
for organizational effectiveness. We
have also come to appreciate the power of
participative processes in building teams
and organizations.
But there is a depth in exploring and
mediating personal meaning in the organizational
context that we have only hinted
at in our approaches thus far (although
directly suggested by some), but not
tended to fully embrace. This has left our
organization building efforts limited to
more traditional thinking and approaches,
which appear to be inadequate to address
challenges facing organizations across the
globe today.
THE CHALLENGE
Recent research indicates that not only
are we not fully engaging people in their
organizations, but also that engagement
has been decreasing at an alarming rate. A
Gallup poll in 2011 stated: “71 per cent of
American workers are ‘not engaged’ or ‘actively
disengaged’ in their work, meaning
they are emotionally disconnected from
their workplaces and are less likely to be
productive” (Gallup 2011). Both Aon/
Hewitt (2011) and the Kenexa Institute
(2011) reported that 2011 marked a low
point in the level of employee engagement
INDIVIDUALS ARE FEELING LESS CONNECTED
TO THE ORGANIZATIONS IN
WHICH THEY WORK, RESULTING IN
LOSS OF REALIZATION OF VALUE TO
BOTH SIDES OF THAT RELATIONSHIP.
worldwide, and Hay Group (2013) reported
that the level remained flat through
the subsequent two years. This means that
individuals are feeling less connected to the
organizations in which they work, resulting
in loss of realization of value to both
sides of that relationship. The top drivers
cited as impacting upon the level of engagement
are: career opportunities, brand
alignment and recognition (Aon/Hewitt
2011). Usual approaches to address these
and other drivers do not appear to be resolving
the overall challenge, and a different
approach seems to be needed.
THE ESSENTIAL LINKAGE
Organization builders – leaders and consultants
– require a deeper understanding
of work that goes to the heart of the relationship
between individuals and their
participation in organizations. This deeper
understanding needs to start with the
concept of meaning, as has been reflected
in the focus on “purpose” and “meaning”
in organizational development literature
over the years. Senge (1990) has suggested
personal mastery finding personal meaning
as a core discipline within an effective
learning organization. Collins (2001)
speaks to the need for organizations to
have a clear understanding of their purpose
in order to make work meaningful.
Wheatley (2005) counsels leaders to keep
meaning at the forefront in their practices.
Further and more directly, Amabile and
Kramer (2012) suggest that people have
an innate desire to find personal meaning
in their work lives. We experience personal
meaning through a sense of vocation or
meaningful occupation – that which we
are drawn to do or be the difference that
we seek to make in the world. The purposiveness
within personal meaning and
its expression (reinforced by recognition)
provide the basis for self-worth. Our sense
of vocation or meaningful occupation further
leads us to seek to engage with specific
work and pursue career directions that
produce or contribute some value.
Photo by Hemera Technologies / Photos.com
Continued on page 69
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2014 ❚ 67