If you’re a leader, then you should be worried about a recent Gallup survey about employee engagement. It estimates that about 70% of our workforce (or 100 million people) are not working to their full potential.
Why should you care about those sleepy people who are napping in their cubicles? Gallup estimates they will cost the U.S. $450 billion to $550 billion in lost productivity per year.
They do this by coming in late, performing their duties with the least amount of work possible, and undermining your top performers.
There are always going to be people who don’t like their jobs. But there’s a difference between those who are not engaged and those who want to be engaged.
To Clear the Path to more of these folks getting with the program, consider why they’re not feeling a connection with your mission, which effortlessly flows through your veins. It’s often about a failure in communication:
You Stopped Talking: Every day, you are faced with a complex, ever changing business world. It’s easy to be so focused on the changes that you forget to keep everyone in the loop.
You Lost the Vision: It’s hard to get excited about a car ride if you don’t know where the driver is going. As the one in charge, you are excited about where you can go.
If you’re a passenger on this mystery express, then you’re thinking about how long you’ll be riding, when you’ll get to eat, and when you’ll get a bathroom break. Very little thought is given to a possible destination.
Remember the Chicago Cubs: Engagement does not have to mean achieving the ultimate in success right away. Fans of the Chicago Cubs passionately love their baseball team even though the Cubs have not been to the World Series in more than 100 years.
The fans don’t abandon the team when it underachieves because they know that one day, victory will come. They want to take the ride from last place to World Champion, no matter how long it takes.
Rinse and Repeat: Company culture is very important when it comes to employee engagement. But it’s not shared enough.
Most of the time, it’s briefly touched upon by a Human Resources employee when a new hire is filling out paperwork. Let’s face it, there’s so much going on during this process that it’s unlikely the person will remember the location of the nearest bathroom, let alone your firm’s Ten Commandments.
As a leader, you need to frequently review your mission and vision and how your employees can help you achieve them both.
Bottom Line: Don’t expect employee engagement to increase unless you are taking an active role in explaining why your team should care and how they can be a part of your success.
