The Employee Experience

CHAPTER 9Engagement MAGIC^®

The state of mind which enables a man to do work of this kind . . . is akin to that of the religious worshipper or the lover; the daily effort comes from no deliberate intention or program, but straight from the heart.”¹

—ALBERT EINSTEIN

We accept Employee Engagement as an absolute good, and based on reams of reliable data from our work and that of others, it is. Study after study shows that organizations with engaged employees are more profitable, grow faster, have lower costs, and enjoy lower turnover.

Engagement doesn’t end in the workplace. An engaged employee who is having a marvelous EX sees the impact in other areas of her life as well. Her EX continues beyond the walls of her place of employment. At home, she’s feeling great about the work she does and its impact on the community. When she’s online, she’s telling her Facebook friends about the cool things her company is helping her do. When she’s on vacation with work 5,000 miles away, she’s grateful that her employer respects her leisure time and doesn’t ask her to stay connected via phone or email. And if she can’t fully cut the phone cord, she checks in willingly.

Some people claim to be able to clearly separate home life and work life. We’ve found, however, that it doesn’t happen for most of us. In fact, that’s multiple personality disorder! All sides of our lives are interconnected. What we do at work impacts what happens at home, and vice versa. With work and life so intertwined today, ...