The importance of strategic narratives in enabling an engaged workforce If you have disengaged employees, then it would not be far from the truth to say that your employees do not share your vision and mission. Of course, there are countless more antecedent variables that affect engagement including remunerations, benefits, line managers, organizational policies, macro economic climates, and so on. Even if you wave the wand and eliminate all these problems, disengagement could still be there if individuals do not have positive feelings about what their companies they are working for represent. So, does that mean that as 2024 almost arrives, should businesses begin preparing for Great Resignation version two? The solution, it is pointed out, hinges on strategic narratives. Read the complete article here- Why strategic narratives are key to unlocking an engaged workforce
Understanding the Disconnect Little did we realize recently that just more than a third of the workers are happy with the manner that their workplace informs them. In addition, about 61 % of the employees pointed out that, due to poor communication from their employers, they would switch their jobs. Some of these numbers were shared in the Employee Communication Impact Report 2024 issued by Staffbase in collaboration with USC Annenberg this fall. However, as soon as 1,000 employees and 20 Chief Communications Officers across major U.S. Organizations report that poor communications is evident – one must wonder how this affects morale, and more importantly engagement within the workforce.
When organizations lack effective communication channels, most rely on getting information from the internet, “grapevine,” social media: 37%. I find it rather ignorant when managers set a goal, proclaim it to the employees and think the problem has been solved. This becomes even more important as a new generation of workforce continues to flood the market. Staff should not only memorize mission statements, knowing what their company stands for – they should be passionate about it.
Stories Matter More Than You Expected It is especially the case when it comes to improving the staff’s productivity and their attitude to work in particular. In my book, The Narrative Age, I describe the difference between the terms ‘power of stories’ and the ‘power of narratives’. Even just informing employees about goals of the organisation will help to create distracted awareness. That’s because such stories are always about you – about the company, its employees and the opportunities that the company offers. It’s inward-looking. But if you put your firepower behind stories, then you create empathy, enlightenment and synchronization with the workforce. They will very slowly begin to get the picture of why you do what you do : how their jobs fit into the vision that is graphically depicted on the walls of your company building. They convert words into actual items of meaning. That is why I always say that stories as a phenomenon are about the storyteller. Whereas narratives are about the audience and the emotions the audience is put in. It can still be tools of a story but many firms have fragmented stories and communications strategies that may just tell the story. In order to get people engaged and motivated to perform, organisations require a powerful story that is constructed over time and understood in terms of the whole. A clear story does more than simply reduce confusion, it also generates a feeling of community work among the workforce. A myriad of viewpoints is anxious for acceptance
and integration into its narrative framework leads to increased commitment on the part of the employee.
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