Involvement and influence

What is involvement and influence?

Involvement and influence in a work environment is when workers are included in discussions about how their work is done and how important decisions are made. Opportunities for involvement can relate to a worker’s specific job, the activities of a team or department or issues involving the whole organization.

An organization with good involvement and influence can state:

  • Workers can talk to their immediate supervisors about how their work is done.
  • Workers have some control over how they organize their work.

  • Workers’ opinions and suggestions are considered with respect to work. When opinions and suggestions are not acted on, an explanation is given.

  • Workers are informed of important changes that could impact their work.
  • Input from all workers on important decisions related to their work is encouraged.

Why is involvement and influence important?

When workers feel they have meaningful input into their work, they are more likely to be engaged, accountable, have higher morale and pride in their organization. This, in turn, increases their willingness to make extra effort, when required. Job involvement is associated with increased psychological well-being, enhanced innovation and organizational commitment.

If workers do not believe they have a voice, they are likely to feel a lack of concern or experience helplessness. Non-involvement can result in distrust and distress, increased turnover, and burnout.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Foster a culture where all staff have some level of responsibility, autonomy and accountability. Avoid micromanagement.
  • Combine top-down and bottom-up approaches to work-related decisions, where both leaders and workers can provide input and feedback. Ensure formal and informal approaches for obtaining input and feedback on making improvements (suggestion box, opinion surveys, etc.).
  • If appropriate, provide staff with control over job design, how their work tasks are organized and how responsibilities evolve.
  • Provide training to help staff maintain a sense of control over work. Offer training to help staff manage time and set priorities —skills often not formally taught.
  • Provide coaching, training and mentorship in effective communication skills, including interpersonal problem-solving and conflict management skills.
  • If appropriate, provide training and supports that allow teams to operate independently (self-directed work teams, etc.).
  • When making changes, minimize the impact by communicating effectively. Provide reasons for decisions.
  • Particularly during times of change, encourage worker participation and involvement.
  • Encourage discussions between managers and direct reports about how work is done and how to improve it.
  • Respond quickly to staff suggestions regarding how work could be improved or enhanced.
  • Maintain current and accurate written job descriptions that specify roles and responsibilities.
  • Create employment agreements and contracts that openly value input into how work is conducted.
  • Ensure all employees have an identified contact person (supervisor, office manager, union representative) for issues pertaining to how their work is done.

Action

Next steps: Encouraging involvement and influence in the workplace.

▸ Objective

A work environment where workers are included in discussions about how their work is done and how important decisions are made.

▸ Benefits
  • Enhanced performance and productivity
  • Greater worker motivation, engagement and job satisfaction
  • Workers take an active role in addressing challenges at work
  • Positive worker/employer relations
▸ Reflection Questions
  • Do issues related to involvement and influence present a greater risk to certain groups of workers (new workers, specific jobs, shift workers, young workers, etc.)?
  • What are your workplace’s strengths in terms of involvement and influence? (What do you do well and what should you continue doing?)
  • What could your workplace do to improve in this area? (What could you do more of and what could you do less of?)