I often say that icing on mud pie does not a cake make. I read this quote recently…if your relationship with your manager is fractured, then no amount of in-chair massaging or company sponsored dog walking will persuade you to stay and perform. It is better to work for a great manager in an old fashioned company than for a terrible manager in a company offering an enlightened, employee-focused culture’ Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman ‘First Break All the Rules’.

People resign from managers. And given that 48% if disengaged employees are planning to leave their company within the next twelve months (according to Gallup Orgnisation)? what impact is that having on the business. How productive can someone really be if they are constantly looking at seek.com.au? The question is what does it cost an organisation to have people who just are simply not happy.

But unless an organisation authentically embraces its people ? and by that I mean leaders of the organisation truly being leaders. It is all just lip service that will be met with cynicism making people even more disengaged. People are just not going to hang around if they don?t feel valued. This is a tight labour market, and people have choices. The labour market has moved from a model that values security to a model that prizes personal fulfilment. The challenge facing companies now is how to make the week as rewarding as the weekend.

It is why we often ask the question to our potential clients – ‘Are you really ready for a RedBalloon Days program?’

‘Good news for businesses is that in most cases, staff loyalty in business has nothing to do with money…If you don?t capture the hearts and minds of an employee, no amount of money will keep them long-term.’
Denis Orme ? CEO, Insurance Brokers of New Zealand

Employee engagement starts with leadership.