Be Engaged.
Years ago, when we started our organizational excellence journey, it was all about satisfaction. “Make them happy!” I’d say. But the state of happiness is abstract and fleeting. Success isn’t about being gleeful all the time - it’s about being present in both the good and bad times, and sticking with it (… for better or worse …) An engaged organization is transparent in its communication. An engaged employee wants themselves and the business to be successful. It’s about pride. And being the best.
I was thinking about this word all weekend. I thought, “when have I been engaged and when have I been disengaged?”
I went to the University of Iowa for both my undergrad degree and my graduate degrees. I had a ton of fun the first four years. I enjoyed my time down there a lot.* I was highly satisfied (gleeful) but not engaged in my education. I ended up with a degree in finance. I didn’t know what I was going to do with that. After I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I moved back to Sioux City and hunted for a job. I remember applying at a small finance/lender place (I think they gave loans for toasters and mowers and stuff), and they had me take a psychological test to see if I was mentally fit for the job of lending small amounts of money. “No one ever fails the test - don’t worry” … I failed it. I rationalized this as God saying, “go back to grad school and get engaged with life!”. So, I did and found engagement and purpose in my master’s program for hospital administration.
Hospitals are a core resource in a community. They are places of healing. They employ people who change lives and tell stories and perform miracles. I thank God every day I failed that test, and my calling is to work with people who lift each other up daily.
*(too much)
