The latest buzz circulating in
HR circles is, and The Gallup Management Journal’s “Employee Engagement Index”
confirms, that nearly 70% of workers are disengaged from their jobs!
Given the increased stresses placed on
the workplace by a dysfunctional economy and the increased threat of unemployment,
many people may have simply adjusted to the idea that having any job is better
than the alternative. If workplace happiness and engagement in your job equate,
and I believe they do, this means that you have slightly over a one-in-four
chance of being satisfied with your current situation. While better than your
odds of returning from Las Vegas a millionaire, these odds are still not desirable.
It seems reasonable that the
characteristics which foster employee engagement have some tangible
relationship with a supportive workplace environment while those
characteristics that foster non-engagement bear a connection to non-supportive
environments.
The Gallup Organization estimates that the 17 percent of
employees who are actively disengaged from their jobs costs the United States
economy from $300 to $350 billion a year with these figures holding fairly
steady since 2002. This is why it is difficult to understand how corporate
executives tolerate non-supportive environments.
Of equal if not more concern is the toll this
situation levies on working people and their families who are struggling to keep afloat in a still uncertain economy. This already stressful
situation is exacerbated by non-supportive workplace environments, and high
levels of negative stress are known to have extreme consequences which can be
devastating for workers and costly for the company.
It would seem there are two courses of action that lead to a
remedy. First, corporate leaders could recognize that non-supportive workplace
environments limit employee engagement and diminish productivity. Management
teams could begin shifting course in favor of providing workers stronger
support structures. As I often say, employee engagement IS rocket science in a non-supportive workplace environment!
Additionally, workers can take action to leverage
more control while maintaining their value and options in the
job market. This will help reduce frustration and allow them to better manage
the stresses of the non-supportive workplace environments in which so many
people now work.
Your thoughts on this current and important
topic are welcome!
Fred Stawitz
Coauthor of Don't Run Naked Through The OfficeAlso visit www.DontRunNakedThroughTheOffice.com
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