ECAM Trains Managers in Effective Employee Engagement Strategies

Renowned psychologist Dr. Chiwoza Bandawe says organisations are at a better position to reach their goals if they learn to engage and motivate their working force.

Bandawe said this when he was giving a presentation at the Developing Strategies for Effective Employee Engagement Workshop that was organised by the Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM) in Blantyre on Tuesday.

“My presentation was looking at issues of motivation and engagement. How can companies ensure that their employees are as engaged as possible? Because what can happen is that people can come to work but not fully engaged with goals of the organisation.

“If workers are not motivated and engaged- it compromise organisation’s productivity, ability to achieve their goals, people will be sabotaging and profit margin will be greatly affected,” said Bandawe.

Concurring with Bandawe, another key presenter at the workshop, Laston Masumba- from Impact Management Consultants added that: “Highly engaged employees have a passion for their work and feel a deep connection to their organisation; disengaged employees have essentially checked out—putting time but not energy or attention into their work.”

One of the participants, Blessings Dambo from G & T Construction Company ,described the workshop as an eye opener and timely.

“There is a growing disengagement between workers and their employers, leading to a lot of industrial strikes and to some extent sabotage. So this workshop has come at a right time and has targeting a right cross-section of middle managers who deal with workers directly,” said Dambo.

Taking her turn, ECAM communications and projects officer Ellen Ziwoya-Phiri said her organization held the workshop as one way of fulfilling its obligation of promoting skills development and worker productivity.

“We must ensure that we address fundamental rights at work, that can facilitate economic growth. As members of ECAM, we are drivers of policy and laws in the workplace,” she said.

ECAM was registered in 1963 under the Trustees Incorporation Act of Malawi as an employers’ trade association representing all subscribing employers. It has direct membership from 250 organizations, which includes six associations. The associations represent over 277,000 members.

It’s primary role is the promotion, guidance and protection of employers’ interests in labour, employment and socio-economic issues.