The latest news is that despite the fact that employee engagement is currently a significant issue for 91% of respondents (surveyed at the Learning and Skills Conference and Exhibition 28th and 29th Jan 2013, Olympia London) only 72% of organisations are aware of the difference between transactional and emotional engagement.
Until organisations understand the vital difference between being emotionally and transactionally engaged, businesses will fail to retain talent and achieve potential. The wrong kind of engagement can be undermining and dangerous to the business. Emotional engagement needs to be promoted within organisations with a view to improving working life for everyone; and profitability for the business.
It has been demonstrated in recent CIPD research that emotionally engaged employees perform better and are more likely to be retained.
Organisations need to start reviewing how their good intentions may be reducing emotional engagement; such as performance bonuses which are shown to have a negative effect on motivation and creativity. They need to review the way that middle managers manage (particularly the “mediocre” managers – who fly under the radar and according to CIPD research, do damage to the team); and begin modelling the kinds of ‘Affective’ behaviours in their leaders. It has to come from the top!
See my presentation on Affective Leadership: http://youtu.be/AnTddg4Yzxg
*Sample population: attendees at the Learning and Skills Exhibition 2013, Olympia London. Interviewed by The Maria Paviour Company.
CIPD research resources available upon request.