By Marcel Schwantes
2 May 2022
Since 2000, Gallup's research has shown that roughly 65 to 70 percent of the U.S. workforce is not engaged in their work. Gallup has identified two types of workers in that majority: the "disengaged" employee and the "actively disengaged" employee. It's important to know what each term means since either employee may be working for you right now.
Disengaged employees: They are "checked out." They're basically sleepwalking through their workday, putting in the expected time but without energy or passion into the work they perform.
Actively disengaged employees: They aren't just unhappy at work; they're busy acting out their unhappiness. Every day, these workers undermine what their engaged coworkers accomplish.
As leaders, we have to acknowledge that there may be bad apples in the bunch; it may not be the leader or manager's fault for having disengaged workers, especially if the desired conditions are in place for people to perform at their best. Perhaps a good leader placed into a new role inherited a team of disgruntled employees from previous management. We also have to admit that certain people just aren't cut out for the job or the company culture. Simply put, they must go.
However, if the problem is really not with the employee, then we must look at the manager. To reverse disengagement, managers and their superiors must ask many questions. One of them should be, "How do we motivate our employees to become engaged?" Or, perhaps a better question is, "How do we prevent our engaged employees from becoming disengaged?"
This is a good starting point for powerful discussions to take place in the C-Suite. If I were consulting with an executive to shift things to the positive, here's what I would say:
- Give your employees meaning and purpose in the work they do.
Studies have revealed that workers who have a sense of purpose are more focused, creative, and resilient. They report feeling both happier and healthier because they were able to connect to the deeper meaning of their work, and how their work ties into the company's mission, big picture, or personal and professional goals. Leaders should make a practice of reminding their employees how their work makes a difference and impacts society.
- Be selfless and display fairness.
Studies indicate that when selfless and fair leaders focus more on their employees than themselves -- caring and providing for their needs --workers show up more inspired and with greater dedication to their work. In turn, this increases productivity. Furthermore, you'll find that these exceptional leaders share their power and even status. They'll get down in the trenches and work alongside their workers; they connect with them on a deeper level, which builds trust.
- Create a positive work environment.
Start by developing a feeling of acceptance and an atmosphere of encouragement and praise for others. Pump the fear out of the room by offering employees plenty of freedom and ownership of their work, giving them a voice to express their ideas, and allowing for risks to be taken and mistakes to be made as part of their learning and growth. Offer them feedback and be consistent about giving guidance and mentoring. But don't be timid about giving constructive criticism when necessary to keep employees on track with high performance.
- Set clear and consistent expectations.
Employees are motivated by clear communication and by knowing as much information as possible in meeting a shared goal. And great leaders provide leadership by communicating consistently about where the bus is headed. Gallup measured the top reasons employees are disengaged (which leads to turnover) and found one of the top five reasons is a lack of clear goals and expectations. Every leader should be asking the question: Do my team members know what is expected of them?
- Coach them for excellence.
In the sports world, it's essential for top athletes to have a coach. But when it comes to the business world, coaching is a rare commodity. Managers typically don't have the time or knowledge or see the value in it. The belief around coaching needs to change because, truthfully, managers who are good coaches will produce greater results in less time, increase a team's productivity, and ultimately develop more leaders out of their followers. Coaching in its best form doesn't have to be a formal and fancy process requiring a big budget. Once you nail down the basics, it's simply a process of mutual and positive dialogue that includes asking questions, giving advice, providing support, following through on action planning, and making time to help grow an employee. (full disclosure: Teaching managers essential coaching skills is part of my online course to develop servant leaders)
- Allow them to make decisions.
If organizations want to keep the needle moving on employee satisfaction or engagement metrics, their first priority should be to give employees decision-making privileges. Allow them a seat at the table to exercise influence over things that matter in their line of sight. Think of projects and important meetings about strategy to involve your people. Companies that do these things drive loyalty by regularly allowing their valued employees to share in the decision-making process.
Marcel Schwantes is a globally-recognized leadership authority, executive coach, international speaker, podcast host, and syndicated columnist with a worldwide following. He teaches emerging leaders the skills to build great work cultures where people and businesses flourish.