In Peter Drucker's 1954 book, The Practice of Management, he tells a story of three stonecutters that illustrates the point of how important it is for managers to clearly communicate the importance and role of employees' positions within the organization, and to connect the importance of their work to achieving the vision/accomplishing the mission.

While walking, a traveler came across three stonecutters and asked each of them what they were doing. The first replied, "I am making a living." The second kept on hammering and replied, "I am doing the best job of stone cutting in the entire country." The third stopped, looked up at the traveler with a visionary gleam in his eye, and said, "I am building a cathedral."

The first stonecutter is doing his job for the paycheck and little more. He is divorced from the substance, purpose, and context of the work he performs. The second stonecutter works to be the best, and yet misses the point -- productivity without purpose is meaningless. The third stonecutter truly understands the role he plays in achieving the grand vision of the cathedral. He realizes that his skill at cutting stones plays a crucial role in the project. He is clearly the most engaged and satisfied of the three. His is the mindset we must foster within our workplaces.

Studies by Gallup indicate that only 50 percent of workers "strongly indicate they know what is expected of them at work." The larger and more dispersed the organization, the more distant we all drift from the full context of our work, and the result is a dis-empowered, disengaged workforce toiling at the bottom of the pyramid.

Organizations must intentionally communicate the importance and value of everyone's work. Start by having a conversation with your employees about their understanding of how their day-to-day work fits into the mission of the organization. Help your employees shape the holistic vision necessary to truly understand the context within which we work. Only then can your employees achieve the same satisfaction, motivation, engagement, and empowerment of the third stonecutter.

Source: http://www.govloop.com/community/blog/time-rethink-employee-engagement/