The enabler to achieving this is corporate culture or mindset, which is ‘top down’.  Culture under the microscope is a little like a human Petri Dish.  Start with one strain and it will multiply. Our leaders at all levels need to be the living, breathing heart and soul of the organisation, the embodiment of positive discretionary behaviour. 

Clearly, we need to focus on engaging the right mindset when employing new talent. More importantly, we need to shift existing mindsets within our organisations from the top down - the toughest hill to climb and yet the most rewarding.  We need to instill a powerful ‘leadership brand’ which drives a positive and engaged ‘employee brand’. A passion for business, achievement, success and self-fulfillment.  At all levels.

In today’s tough economic conditions, attracting and retaining talent, improving performance and building human capital to fulfill business strategy is not only necessary, it is the very foundation of business life.  However, many employee engagement strategies are akin to trying to capture mercury in the palm of our hands.  Shiny, fascinating and elusive.

The reason for this is that we tend to focus on the result of behaviour rather than the mindset that caused it.   If we want to improve performance, there is only one way forward and it is top down.