Why Employee Engagement Matters for Execution

Companies often roll out initiatives with quite a bit of fanfare. The CEO gets on stage and presents the newest initiative to the assembled crowd of employees with the same enthusiasm as a concert’s opening act. It’s an exciting event full of contagious energy, so even the most skeptical employees head back to work with lifted spirits. 

For some, this top-down approach is believed to be the key to employee engagement and a successful initiative rollout. The thinking is that employees have heard the strategy and end goal, so they’ll take it from here. But that perspective can cause problems. 

Just like a concert, a stellar speech only keeps the audience's attention for so long. Employees may talk about it for a couple of days afterward, but then it fades from their minds.

The company’s initiative doesn't last a day or two, however. It’s an ongoing process that requires full participation and employee engagement for months or years, and the only way to make sure an initiative is successful is to keep people engaged for the long-term. Not a few days. Not a few weeks.

While every company is different, sustaining engagement with an initiative comes down to these key factors: