42 Rules for Employee Engagement is 42 Too Many

In a response to a review of 42 Rules of Employee Engagement by Susan Stamm, Peter Hunter waxes poetical and underscores the duality I see present in the "EE" community. First the comment...

Thanks too Alan but the title for me indicates that this view of engagement is simply another book of tricks to manipulate the workforce.

The quote " ‘how do I get people to do what I need them to do" indicates that the author is approaching the idea of engagement from entirely the wrong direction.

The power of engagement come from allowing each individual to make a choice to engage in their work.
When this happens the performance is phenomenal and is measured on the bottom line in numbers that make grown accountants weep.

Love is a way that people feel.
The literature that has been written about love, how to do it, how to do it to someone else, how to avoid it, would denude a handy sized rainforest but none of that well meant advice counts for anything when you put two people together and just let them get on with it.

There are no rules, let alone 42.
Just an understanding that we want to work with the workforce instead of against them and are prepared to listen to what they need to make that happen.

Maybe that is a rule?

Peter A Hunter
www,breakingthemould.co.uk

Is it possible that there are only two species prowling the EE jungle? Esoteric, self-actualization through meaningful gurus like Peter and mercenary carnival barkers like Stamm? I'm sure that is an over-simplification, and yet I like Employee Satisfaction norms that speak to the middle ground of practicality for business, and I somewhat higher quality of work-life for the employee.