HR Pulse - Spring 2009 - (Page 28) Leadership Begins with Values The Time to Put Values in Action is NOW By Becky J. Frederick and Susan Graim Values work provides an understanding of who people are, how they feel, and what they do. It goes beyond the rules, policies, or procedures. T he 2008 election has been noted for its shared values theme. In his remarks on election night, President Barack Obama identified selfreliance, individual liberty, and national unity as core values that we all share in the United States. Regardless of political affiliation, we can take some lessons from this historic campaign in the midst of an economic environment of confusion and risk. Businesses and the nation face financial crisis, unemployment, and health care constraints. At the same time, hospitals and health care systems across America are facing even more challenges in caring for their patients, employees, and communities. As we continue to work and live in a world of uncertainty, what can be constant and unchanging? An organization’s core values. An organization that upholds its mission, vision, and values instills trust and confidence in its relationships. And when an employer stands by its employees, employees stand by the organization. Now, more than ever, employee engagement is a critical driver of business success. ENGAGING PEOPLE: THE CHALLENGE Employee engagement is a complex concept. The Corporate Leadership Council (CLC), in its 2004 Employee Engagement Survey, ascertained that engagement is a characteristic of people, not of groups, and that dramatic differences in engagement levels exist across organizations. Not surprisingly, there is no one right way to foster engagement. Likewise, there is no easy definition of employee engagement. The Conference Board reviewed current studies on employee engagement in 2006 and developed a blended definition: “heightened emotional connection that an employee feels for his or her organization, that influences him or her to exert greater discretionary effort to his or her work.” What we do know, however, is that most of today’s workforce is disengaged. Estimates range from 40 to 76 percent of employees who are partly to fully disengaged. And when employees are not fully engaged, it results in lost productivity and profitability, including: • diminished quality and degree of performance on the job • moderate to low commitment to patients and their families • decreased customer satisfaction. 28 HR Pulse Spring 2009
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