Why Your People are Disengaged and Four Ways to Fix It

Is your organization successful in delivering your product or service because of your people, or in spite of them? While you may recognize the differentiation your people provide to your customers and clients, are you certain that your employees provide you with a competitive advantage, or a liability? As the Millennial generation continues reshape the business landscape and Generation X employees begin moving closer towards the twilight of their careers, more employees than ever are asking themselves if their work provides them with meaning. They actively asking themselves if they are doing what they want to do, or just what they have to do, and if their employer is where they want to work, or where they have to work. Three studies show their answers may not be what employers want to hear. 

1. Maritz Research found that 25% of US workers are less engaged with their bosses than they were a year ago. The workers cited “poor communications, a lack of perceived caring, inconsistent behaviors and the perception of favoritism” as their main factors affecting their disengagement. This same study found that only 10% of workers “trust management to make the right decisions during this time of economic turmoil”. In addition, Maritz Research found that 31% of respondents stated their personal values were “completely inconsistent” with their organization’s values.
2. Gallup released a poll in October which found that 71% of workers are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” with their current work. Among those workers who were reported to be less likely to be engaged are workers who are highly educated and middle-aged workers. Gallup also found that men are more likely that women to be less engaged at this time. As jobs become more complex as employees are being asked to do more every day, and the turnover rate for “disengaged” workers continues to rise, the cost of this turnover can be extremely costly. The cost of this turnover is greater in professional roles than in front line roles meaning the disengagement professionals can cost a company more than 150-200% of the individual’s base salary. If you do the math, a 1000 employee company with 10% turnover could spend as much as $60 million on turnover alone.
3. Weismann Success Resources found that “44% of employers are unhappy with the performance of their employees”. Of this 44%, 70% of these business leaders stated they need “to alter their communication style and content to better motivate their employees”.

Employees are crying out to see a change in how their organization operates. They are saying they are at odds with the behaviors and values demonstrated by their organization. They are frustrated with their organization’s lack of organizational alignment and health. Today’s employees demand more out of their jobs than just a paycheck. Studies have shown that salary and benefits are not the key motivators to employee performance. To actively engage employees, employers must provide them with meaningful work, recognition, opportunities to grow professionally and an environment based on trust and respect. What they are finding is a work environment asking them to do more with less, work harder and pick up the slack for employees who have either been let go or who are themselves disengaged. In short, your people feel they are being treated as resources, not as a person.

Middle managers are caught, well, in the middle. On one side they have their bosses demanding increased results with reduced resources and an increased focus on tangible results. These critical employees often experience a chasm between their organization’s values and the values being modeled by their leaders. On the other side, they see their direct reports working harder, longer, and without the benefit of much needed training programs and promotional opportunities. It is no wonder middle-managers are among the group most disengaged workers in corporate America today. 

Over years of research, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator assessment tool has found that business executives and middle managers most often demonstrate a preference to the psychological preferences of Sensing, Thinking and Judging. This combination tends to mean they are more comfortable dealing with facts and numbers, they look to past experiences to make objective decisions, and they tend to demonstrate a predisposition for planning and organization.  Ironically, while this is the group most responsible for change, it is actually the group least likely to deal with change comfortably.

The problem is that today’s business environment is unlike any environment ever experienced. There are no mental maps to deal with never before experienced challenges, meaning they are being asked to think in ways opposed to their natural tendencies. Not only are middle managers being squeezed from both sides, but they are being asked to asked to make decisions and think in ways they are ill-prepared to tackle.

So what is an organization to do?  Here are four steps you can take to re-engage your people in order to stop this vicious cycle of disengagement. 

1. Remember that your organization is made up of people, not of resources. Without the people in your organization, there would be no organization. Every person needs something different from their work. Some need to feel as though they are making a difference; some need to see opportunities for advancement; some need the freedom to control how they produce results; some need a structured environment; some need consistent recognition; and some just need some quiet time to reflect and process information. Find out what makes each of your individual’s tick, then do what is possible (not what has been “the way” for years) to reorganize your work ways to meet your employee’s needs. Connecting to your employees is the most critical activity any manager can undertake. After all, most people work for people, not for organizations.
2. Re-align your leadership behaviors with your Company values. Employees see and feel this disconnect between values and action every day and in every way. If you say you believe in creativity, individuality, a belief in entrepreneurship, and innovation; act like it. Reduce the amount of bureaucracy and micromanaging your organization undertakes to a level commensurate with the task at hand. Address performance issues timely, don’t let them fester.  Praise and reward performances that reinforce your organization’s culture. 
3. Invest in the development of your middle managers. They are the lifeblood of your organization.  Having a disengaged management team will ensure every good deed you propose or implement will be doomed for failure. Your people work for your managers, not for you personally. Their relationship with their immediate supervisor is their most important relationship in the Company.  Having a group of managers who are engaged in their work will show itself in increased engagement in their people’s work and eventually in your bottom line. Your managers need the same things as your people; to be engaged as individuals, to have freedom to make decisions, to grow and develop as professionals and to be recognized for their efforts. 
4. Talk with your people, not at your people. Ensure you have a two way-dialogue with your employees at every level of the organization. They are the individuals doing the work day-in and day-out. They will be the ones who know how to improve processes, eliminate waste and become more efficient. Imposing processes from top-down sends the message to your people that they don’t matter. If you really care about the success of your organization as a whole, you need to use all of your organization to work your way out of any obstacle you are facing. Remember that no one person has all the questions, let alone all of the answers.

In the end, it is the engagement of your people that will ultimately lead your organization to success, or hasten your demise. You can no longer work the same way you always have – you have to learn how to succeed in a new world. It won’t be comfortable to stretch outside of your comfort zone, but when you do, you will find a new level of performance is waiting for you right around the corner.