This document discusses driving employee engagement through discretionary effort. It outlines 12 truths that can inspire discretionary effort: 1) recruit the right talent, 2) earn trust, 3) communicate clarity, 4) listen, 5) set a good example, 6) empower with responsibility, 7) create community, 8) inspire a common cause, 9) ensure meaningful work, 10) provide feedback and accountability, 11) stimulate personal growth, 12) encourage the heart. Engaged employees lead to higher service, satisfaction, sales, profits, retention, productivity and loyalty. The greatest gift a leader has is creating a culture where employees freely give discretionary effort.

2. Discretionary Efforts
July 2014
www.brentdarden.com

4. PEOPLE?

5. All organizations are perfectly aligned to
get the results they are currently getting!

8. 25MEMPLOYEES IN
195DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND
70LANGUAGES
SINCE THE Q12
QUESTION WORDING WAS
FINALIZED IN THE LATE 1990S, THE SURVEY
HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED TO MORE THAN
SINCE THE Q12 QUESTION
WORDING WAS FINALIZED IN
THE LATE 1990s, THE SURVEY
HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED TO
MORE THAN…

9. 01
I know what is
expected of me
at work.
07
At work, my opinions
seem to count.
02
I have the materials
and equipment I need
to do my work right.
08
The mission or purpose
of my company makes
me feel my job
is important.
03
At work, I have the
opportunity to do what
I do best every day.
09
My associates or
fellow employees are
committed to doing
quality work.
04
In the last seven
days, I have received
recognition or praise
for doing good work.
10
I have a best friend
at work.
05
My supervisor, or
someone at work,
seems to care about
me as a person.
11
In the last six months,
someone at work has
talked to me about
my progress.
06
There is someone at
work who encourages
my development.
12
This last year, I have
had opportunities
at work to learn and
grow.
GALLUP’S Q12®

10. 30%
52%
18%
Gallups “State of the American Workplace” - 2013
Engaged Disengaged Actively Disengaged
* 350,000 respondents

11. ENGAGEMENT CATEGORIES
1
Engaged employees work with
passion and feel a profound
connection to their company.
They drive innovation and move the
organization forward.
2
Not Engaged employees are
essentially “checked out.” They’re
sleepwalking through their workday,
putting time — but not energy or passion —
into their work.
3
Actively Disengaged employees
aren’t just unhappy at work; they’re
busy acting out their unhappiness.
Every day, these workers undermine what
their engaged coworkers accomplish.

12. “When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of
people: those who let it happen, those who make it
happen, and those who wonder what happened.”
- John M. Richardson

14. • Higher Service
• Higher Customer Satisfaction
• Increased Sales
• Higher Levels of Profit
• Higher Retention Levels
• Increased Productivity
• Lower Absenteeism
• Greater Loyalty
Engaged Employees Lead To:

15. IHRSA MEMBER RETENTION REPORT: Volume 1 | Issue 3
Focus on
Member
Loyalty
What makes good clubs good
… and bad clubs bad?
C
®
retentionpeople
the
Customer Experience Solutions from the Retention Experts

16. Discretionary Effort!

21. ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS A LEADER CAN
POSSESS IS THE ABILITY TO CREATE A WORK
CULTURE THAT THRIVES ON THE DISCRETIONARY
EFFORTS OF TEAM MEMBERS

22. Driving Engagement - How?

23. Truths That Drive Discretionary Effort
12

24. 1
Recruit Team Talent

25. The on-boarding experience is essential.

26. 2
Earn Trust

27. Ambitious 16%
Broad Minded 35%
Caring 22%
Competent 68%
Cooperative 25%
Courageous 25%
Dependable 34%
Determined 25%
Fair-minded 39%
Forward - looking 71%
Honest 89%
Imaginative 17%
Independent 4%
Inspiring 69%
Intelligent 48%
Loyal 18%
Mature 15%
Self-Controlled 10%
Straightforward 36%
Supportive 35%
Characteristics of an Admired Leader
HONEST 89%

28. Be “Sincere”

29. 3
Communicate Clarity

30. Gallups: “State of the AmericanWorkplace -2103”
“Only 41% of employees felt they knew what
their company stood for & what makes its
brand different.”

31. The fundamental outcome of most
communication is misunderstanding

32. 4
Listen

33. Listen, REALLY Listen.
LISTENSILENT
Seek To Understand…

34. 5
Set An Example

36. 6
Empower With Responsibility

38. SUFFICIENT TO STAND & “FREE TO FALL”

39. 7
Create Community

41. 8
Inspire a Common Cause

42. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing
to shared aspirations!
The corporate soul reflects shared values!

43. 9
Ensure Meaningful Work

44. Purpose is profoundly personal...

45. Mix diverse talents, and make sure each individual
understands the importance of their role!

46. 10
Provide Feedback &
Accountability

47. Actual HR Performance Review Quotes: !
!
“Since his last review, this employee has reached rock bottom
and shows signs of starting to dig”.
!
“She sets low personal standards and then consistently fails
to achieve them”
!
“Works well when under constant supervision and cornered
like a rat in a trap”
!
“This young lady has delusions of adequacy”
!
“This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot”

48. 1! ! 2! ! 3! ! 4! ! 5! ! 6 !! 7! ! 8! ! 9! ! 10
?

49. “You get what you tolerate”

50. 11
Stimulate Personal Growth

51. Chinese Proverb:
“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years
ago. The next best time is today.”

52. 12
Encourage the Heart

53. Pay attention to your employees … any kind of attention!

54. “Recognition is effective because it answers a
universal human need.”

55. ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS A LEADER CAN
POSSESS IS THE ABILITY TO CREATE A WORK
CULTURE THAT THRIVES ON THE DISCRETIONARY
EFFORTS OF TEAM MEMBERS

56. www.brentdarden.com

57. Everyone’s Responsibility = Deliver on the Brand Promise
Everyone’s Goal = Deliver a Memorable Customer Experience

58. “Unlike coercion and
motivation, the source of
inspired conduct is
intrinsic and internal.”