When I first mention employeeship to people, they often nod their heads in acknowledgment. Then seconds later, I see a puzzled look emerge. They usually say, "Hey, wait, what is employeeship?"

I think I get that reaction because when we first hear “employeeship” it makes sense. We agree we like it. We are employees, all of us, so, “Yes, let’s give ourselves a word!” Then we realize we really don't know what “employeeship” means. It's a new term and a new paradigm. (O.k., it's not actually new, it just never became mainstream in the United States. Claus Moller wrote a book on it in 1992, Employeeship, Mobilizing everyone’s energy to win.)

We know what leadership is (well, mostly) so employeeship should be similar, right? Yes and no. To Grow Employeeship we, ourselves as employees, leaders, and the organization, must focus on cultivating the skills and relationships that make an employee great. We usually define this for leaders, but don't for employees. We kind of just expect our employees to figure it out and strive to be good or great employees or we expect our leaders to do all the heavy lifting to rally the workforce.

The current efforts aren’t enough. Engagement in the US is not delivering the results we need, recent voice of the employee is telling us workplaces are not a place employees feel they can go and thrive, so workers are opting out and finding new paths. So let’s begin a new approach with thoughtful action and start with a definition.

What makes a great employee in your company? How do you develop great employees?

Think about it for a while...