New Book: "12 - The elements of great managing"

The Gallup Press recently released 12: The Elements of Great Managing, by Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter, PhD.  The book is an extensive exploration of Gallup's employee engagement model, which is based on 12 elements. 

Gallup first explained these elements, and the research that led to them, in 1999's First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently (Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton).  That book, though, devoted only a chapter or so to the model, and was based on only a few years of research.  The latest book is based on ten times as much data, and is jam-packed with research results and anecdotes to help you understand each element.

In the coming days, I'll write about each element.  Today I want to focus on a few basics.

• The model is based on extensive research.  This is not somebody's hypothesis about how to improve business results through employee engagement.  It is a tested model that meets the criteria for evidence based management.

• The elements of the model are things you can improve in your operation.  They are actionable, in other words.

• Gallup has been able to show statistically significant correlations between improvements on these 12 elements and improvements in a wide range of business outcomes.

• The model gives you a way to take action on every leader's favorite cliche:  "Our employees are our greatest asset."  Using the model, you can measure how well you are living up to that statement, and you can make it more true.

• Page 200:  "Enterprises that wouldn't think of letting an accounting school dropout run its finances, a Luddite run IT, or a klutz supervise safety routinely let dislikable, insincere, or aloof men and women assume stewardship for a crew of the company's ostensibly greatest assets."  Gallup's book can help train some of those horrible managers to be better leaders, or at least help you recognize them and get them out of positions where they can do harm.

The 12 elements of great managing are:

1. I know what is expected of me.
2. I have the materials and equipment to do a job right.
3. I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last week I have received recognition or praise.
5. Someone at work seems to care about me.
6. Someone at work encourages my development.
7. My opinions seem to count.
8. I am connected with the mission of my organization.
9. My coworkers are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.  (See this article for an expansion of this element.)
11. In the last six months, someone has talked to me about my progress.
12. In the last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

More on all of this coming up.  In the meantime, you might buy the book, visit Gallup's website, or read John Moore's outstanding summary of the 12 elements.

Also see these related articles from my archives:

Monthly coaching sessions which describes an approach to ensuring that many of these elements get one-on-one attention.

Employee Engagement which describes the 1999 book and suggests a method for making progress on the elements.

Read more posts like this in my "Leading Change" category.