People are the heart of every business.  The more engaged and productive the workforce, the more satisfied its customers, and the more successful the enterprise.

Gallup research indicates that North America leads the world in employee engagement.  They suppose this may be due to US and Canadian values that emphasize the importance of work, and the tendency of those of us in this region of the world to link personal identify to what we do.  This inclination manifests through the question, asked of nearly everyone we meet, “What do you do?”

Gallup acknowledges this cultural pattern is not the sole explanation for these results.  In fact, their research names three conditions that drive high performance:  every day, employees can do what they do best – in other words, they’re involved in work that uses their strengths; have opportunities to grow; and know their voices matter.