In an ideal world, all of us would love our work and the organizations within which we do it.  We would understand how our companies make money and how we contribute.  However, this ideal scenario is not one that many of us experience.  In my 30 years of consulting,  I have found that almost all leaders would like to create a culture that engages a highly informed workforce.  And yet, the dilemma is how to put together a strategy to get there.  So many company leaders lack the knowledge of how to impact what they consider to be important yet fuzzy stuff like culture.  While they would like for their employees to understand more about the overall business, they aren't sure of the best strategies for facilitating that learning. 

As I participated in the Harvard Business School meetings on Integrated Reporting this Fall, I realized that the process of integrating financial and non-financial variables in one report, if done right, could address the broader issues of employee knowledge and engagement.  Employees would learn about the company's 'big picture' through the cross-functional work required for integrated reporting.  At the same time, they would be likely to feel more engagement with their jobs and their employers by contributing to goals that have meaning, not only to the company's success,  but to the global community. 

As I pondered the possibilities, I decided to write the following chapter for the HBS eBook, The Landscape of Integrated Reporting . The chapter is entitled Employee Engagement and the Holy Grail .  Take a look at my arguments and let me know what you think.