How to counter the growing disengagement with engagement programs: Use “dream management”

Abstract

Purpose

How do organizations approach the issue of employee engagement for a predominantly millennial workforce? What can leadership do to reverse the trend in organizations for high employee turnover? How can the preference among millennials for their employers to provide life experience and personal growth opportunities be used by organizations for strategic benefit?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the author’s first hand experience as an human resource department and managing director of a FTSE 100 company and executive coach. The author’s belief is verified with evidence that suggests managers and business leaders need to appreciate that a key part of their role now is to recognize the individual dreams of the people within their organizations and enable them to realize some of these aspirations.

Findings

For employees to really be engaged in their work, they have to be engaged in their lives. Dream management as an employee engagement intervention has been implemented in a number of US organizations and follows a structured program of group-based coaching to help employees to pursue their whole life dreams and in doing so, become better versions of themselves.

Originality/value

When considering the viability of dream making as an employee engagement program within an organization, it is essential for leaders to acknowledge certain enabling or limiting factors as outlined in the article.

Citation

Greatwood, M. (2016), "How to counter the growing disengagement with engagement programs: Use “dream management”", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 15-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-12-2015-0097