Maintaining motivation, employee engagement, and productivity in a downturn economy: work culture is crucial to positive approach and attitude.

• Author: Dee, Kevin M.
• Position: HR Matters

With an economy under duress in Alaska, many companies are struggling to keep their workforces engaged and motivated. Economic pressures are requiring organizations to run leaner than they ever have before. Downsizing (oops, I meant right-sizing) is occurring all around us. This often means salary freezes and benefits either being reduced or benefit costs shifted more onto employees. Others are pushed to reduce their workforces, resulting in more work put on the shoulders of those left behind. Often a "do or die" and survivor mode mentality sets in.

Employee engagement goes down in a depressed economy. Many of the polls on workplace satisfaction and engagement have shown that employee engagement and satisfaction are joined at the hip and directly related to personal productivity and success. So how do you put on your happy face and stay engaged and motivated?

Well, there are actions you and your company can take to make a difference in enhancing and maintaining engagement and motivation--even in downturn.

The Gallup organization has been studying employee engagement and productivity for a long time and has surveyed 25 million workers regarding engagement and productivity. They have twelve statements they use to query workplaces on engagement, with workers answering yes or no to each.

Elements of Great Managing

To identify the elements of worker engagement, Gallup conducted many thousands of interviews in all kinds of organizations, at all levels, in most industries, and in many countries. These twelve statements--the Gallup Q12--emerged from Gallup's pioneering research as those that best predict employee and workgroup performance.

1. I know what is expected of me at work.

2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.

3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.

4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.

5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.

6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.

7. At work, my opinions seem to count.

8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.

9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.

10. I have a best friend at work.

11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.

12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

[c] 1992-1999 The Gallup Organization, Princeton. NJ. All rights...