Leadership and Engagement

Best Companies research in 2008/9 points to 'trust in senior leadership' as the biggest single factor affecting staff engagement (and, thereby talent retention, performance and impact) in the current climate. This is probably because turbulence in the economic environment is creating real anxiety. Employees need to believe that leaders know what they are doing and have the ability to steer the organisation through and ensure its survival.

In the third sector, I’ve noticed over the past year that leaders and employees are expressing a concern that their ministry should not suffer adversely in this climate. In other words, people in this sector are motivated by and concerned for their organisations’ mission and are keen to ensure it is safeguarded.

Bearing in mind these points, the questions and anxieties some staff may be carrying at the moment could be framed as 'Are they (beneficiaries) safe..?'; that is, will leaders keep their interests at the forefront of their minds and not get distracted. 'Are we (organisation) safe..?'; that is, are leaders focusing on and prioritising the right things bearing in mind external and internal opportunites and challenges. 'Am I (me) safe..?'; that is, do the leaders value and care about me?

In the Christian organizations I work with, there’s an additional implicit question at the heart of this matter. ‘Is He (God) safe..?’; that is, will leaders stay faithful to the organisation’s Christian identity, values and sense of calling or compromise these things for expediency’s sake as they navigate through tough times.

Although different people experience change dynamics differently and it's hard for leaders to make concrete reassurances in these unpredictable times, this frame could form a useful backdrop for leadership communications over the coming months. The challenge is how to manage tensions between these potentially competing agendas and demands whilst maintaining a genuine sense of focus, integrity and hope.