TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– The aim of this article is to show how middle managers can influence sustained engagement by fulfilling five keys roles of prophet, strategist, storyteller, coach and pilot.Design/methodology/approach– This article outlines the critical task managers face in securing meaningful, long‐term engagement, based on the author's personal views, experience and analysis of effective engagement strategies. The five key roles were identified from extensive qualitative interviews that the author conducted across many organizations. These findings were further supported with the bespoke development of a profiling tool and used with a representative management population to analyze the key strengths and development areas across the five roles. The effectiveness of the roles is supported with the author's observations of managers and leaders who all excel as engagers.Findings– Engagement for performance has a lasting impact on the bottom line and, in today's tough and challenging economy, organizations cannot afford to carry employees who do not contribute to the best of their abilities. Whilst many organizational level engagement strategies are concerned with building the understanding and awareness of the business strategy and how it impacts their role, the five roles as engagers builds on this core level of engagement and provides managers with practical, everyday ways to boost performance.Originality/value– The identification of the five roles is based on the unique research of Jane Sparrow, author of The Culture Builders: Leadership Strategies for Engagement. The article explains each of the roles in detail and outlines practical examples of how high‐performing managers excel in each of the roles.
VL  - 27
IS  - 3
SN  - 1477-7282
DO  - 10.1108/14777281311315838
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/14777281311315838
AU  - Sparrow Jane
PY  - 2013
Y1  - 2013/01/01
TI  - Creating and sustaining meaningful engagement: what managers need to develop in their five roles as engagers
T2  - Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 8
EP  - 10
Y2  - 2024/04/25
ER  -