Read Part One and Part Two of this blog series here.

What leads to success? Hard work, recognizing opportunity, persistence? Brains? I’ve been an ardent believer of the normal curve and regressions toward means (see figure below). Mastery learning theorists argue, “Tweak the variables (time, method, content, how we measure performance and define excellence, etc.), and you can get over the hump or move the curve.” Most are familiar with Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations Curve, which beautifully aligns with engagement statistics. The engaged are the innovators, early adopters, and some of the early majority. Highly engaged workplaces, however, are centers for innovators and risk-takers; laggards beware.

Thirty percent or less engagement—what loss! Why so few? Disengaged employees both know and feel under-acknowledgement, so engagement strategies must generate from an authentic commitment to the employee’s participation and well-being. In fact, engagement grows from inculcating the values and practicing the behaviors that challenge all, from CEO to newcomers: to inspire, model the way, challenge processes, enable others, and—most of all—encourage the heart.

As engagement/disengagement, culture, and communication are inextricably interconnected, to heighten engagement, our psychological make-up must possess these two variables: the will to do something different (unwavering commitment to experiment and employ different means to build empowerment and to capitalize on values, vision, and passion) and disposition (demonstrated in personal and interpersonal abilities, skills, dimensions, or personal characteristics).

Of course, as mentioned in the last post, we often inherit the inhabitants of our landscape. The threat, to appropriate Spiro Agnew’s famous phrase, is the “nattering nabobs of negativism.” Anyone who has built or renovated homes knows demolishing a structure is infinitely easier than building it. Our will and disposition should embrace growth, challenge, innovators, and improvement. Precious energy and time is wasted placating destructive bullies or hostile critics. We should attend to constructive dialogue in movement to support, update, and build better relationships.

In the preceding posts, I employed the verbs “harvest” and “cultivate” in relationship to creating more engaged cultures. In stimulating environments, the only ambition isn’t ambition itself but how ambitiously one sows initiative, how ably we recognize needs, and how frequently and freely we honor exemplary work.

While reasons behind our actions may differ, our drivers remain remarkably similar; that which moves performance and the engagement curve moves us. At work, we desire freedom from obstacles to succeed, and availability of resources. We desire mutual trust and respect. And we thrive on empowerment, opportunity, and the ability to develop our talents and assets. We want to be a part (as the story goes, all hands, from janitors to engineers, serving as indispensable team members to walk on the moon).

Even in the land of defeatists, egos, and selfish agendas, positive stimuli can be introduced to shift the cultural normal curve closer and faster to innovative shareholding. Taking more heart than brains, our emotional ability to freely and purposefully recognize others can transform the workplace. Explored in the next installment is how much exemplary human capital management resides in authentic recognition and through simple acts of appreciation.