The 5 behaviors that define highly engaged employees

How do you learn about employee engagement from someone who’s disengaged?

You don’t. That’s like trying to learn French from a Spanish teacher. People simply can’t teach you what they don’t know.

I decided the key to understanding employee engagement was to study highly engaged employees. I studied 150 highly engaged employees in 13 industries and 50 organizations ranging from aerospace and health care to technology and media.

Do these employees behave in consistent ways? The answer is a resounding yes.

Here is what I found:

1. Highly engaged employees take responsibility for their engagement.

Ninety-nine percent of highly engaged employees report taking personal and primary responsibility for their engagement. It’s a stunning and largely ignored fact. Highly engaged employees expect the organization to play a support role in their engagement, while highly disengaged employees expect the organization to play a primary role.