The 2012 graduation season is coming to a close. We had more ceremonies and parties this year than most; so, I’ve had my share of commencement addresses and graduation cake.
Of the events I attended, there was one address that I thought was particularly moving. The young man, selected by his class, did a great job intertwining humor with wisdom; stories from the past with well wishes for the future. Now this speech wasn’t so different than others in terms of message. It included themes about hopes and dreams; celebrating the past while looking forward; and, current friends and those yet to be made. I was impressed, however, with how the speaker engaged the audience…a great job for an 18 year old.
The thing that resonated the most with me was his reference to their class motto:
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you’re doing, you will be successful.” — Albert Schweitzer
Perhaps what hit home the most is that I see so many people in the course of our work who aren’t happy doing what they are doing. Some hate their jobs, their boss, and/or the organization. Others feel like their skills and talents are being wasted. Still others just don’t know what they want to do next. (I remind those new grads that figuring this out is a lifelong venture.)
We’ve all seen the statistics from various engagement studies. Gallup research has reported that:
• In world-class organizations, the ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is almost 10 to 1.
• In average organizations, the ratio is just under 2 to 1.
So, as Warren Bennis has stated, “We need leaders now, more than ever before.” What are you doing to keep your employees interested and engaged? What do you do to help create an environment where they “love what they are doing?” How do you take care of yourself when it comes to these questions? We’d love to hear from you.
Tags: Beyond the Jargon, Calibra, Diane Hamilton, engagement, Gallup, success
