In January we launched the new professional development guide that introduces a learning topic each month in 2022. This month’s topic is ‘Team Member Engagement’ which focuses on fostering engagement in the workplace. In July, highlight the importance of connecting team members to the energy, value, and meaning related to their work. In 2017, GALLUP, an organizational and workforce advice firm, conducting a worldwide study aimed to better understand employee engagement in their jobs. They found that just 15% of the 1 billion people in the workforce worldwide are actively engaged in their jobs. This number is slightly better at 30% in the United States, but this means that of all working people, still 70% are disengaged in their work. GALLUP recommends moving beyond traditional employee relationships focusing on administrative duties and instead shifting to intentional conversations, coaching, and meaningful relationship building to boost team member retention. So, why does team member engagement matter? GALLUP defines team member engagement as the enthusiasm and involvement related to the the work being done in the workplace. Building on this concept, GALLUP shared a list of several factors tied to engagement and how to increase it. Key findings were:

• An 81% decrease in absenteeism.
• An 18% and 43% decrease in turnover at high and low turnover organizations, respectively.
• An 18% increase in productivity.

In the same article, GALLUP perfectly summarizes team member engagement. "People want purpose and meaning from their work. They want to be known for what makes them unique. This is what drives employee engagement." The State of Missouri has incorporated Team Member Engagement into the 2022 Learning Framework for all of these reasons. In order to provide the best service and create the largest impact on fellow Missourians, we must first ensure that our workforce is engaged. This month, we invite you to explore the learning pathway in MO Learning and find creative ways to enhance team member engagement. The new 2022 Learning Framework was developed by State team members, for State team members. Each month, we will highlight a new topic, one directly related to The Missouri Way Training Series. These trainings, along with ENGAGE conversation topics, live educational opportunities, and additional learning resources, are combined into one comprehensive package. While participation is optional, our goal is to provide just the right amount of education so supervisors can meet their LDR goals, and all team members can meet their individual educational goals.