The culture of a business is essentially the character of the business. As a service evangelist, a service transformation consultant and a human resource practitioner, I’ve interacted with business cultures that have run the gamut from brown and toxic, to green and growing. I have had the unfortunate experience, as well, of interacting with cultures that are overrun with disengaged employees. It’s disheartening to collide with a culture of disengagement, especially when one knows that this status is avoidable.
How did this disengaged generation come about? Let’s take a look at how businesses induce disengagement.
One way is by normalizing a “mushroom” communication style. This means that employees are kept in the dark and information is disclosed only when and if absolutely necessary. Similar to how mushrooms are grown. Nothing irritates employees more than not having a clue as to the strategic direction of the business and how they fit into the plan.
When there is failure to keep employees in the communication loop, both at the start of and throughout each year, feelings of disrespect and dismissiveness take root and staff return the psychological favour.
When there is failure to keep employees in the communication loop, both at the start of and throughout each year, feelings of disrespect and dismissiveness take root and staff return the psychological favour. They serve up the same level of disdain as they receive from the business.
Want to prevent this from happening? Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Next, disengagement steps in when the “we care” mantra of a business only applies to customers and not to employees as well. A customer-first strategy is impotent without a parallel employee-first strategy. Both customers and employees need to feel that they matter (almost equally), to the business.
Employees compare effort levels and when it becomes apparent that their employer expends significant effort to keep customers happy, without a significant amount of expenditure on the employee end, enthusiasm gets deflated.
Next, disengagement steps in when the “we care” mantra of a business only applies to customers and not to employees as well.
I must mention those toxic workplace cultures that are ruinous to employee well-being. I’m talking about those environments that are tolerant of divisive team practices, irregular performance practices and avoidant behaviours on the part of managers. The disruptions of the past couple of years have added another layer of discomfort to the lives of employees, placing additional weight on already burdened psyches.
Let’s take a look now, at how employees, themselves, induce disengagement.
I have met whole communities of employees who believe that their employers are responsible for the quality of their overall professional existence. These employees bemoan everything, from inadequate compensation, to disapproval with their working conditions, to lack of opportunities for career development.
Every business has to examine itself to determine how many of its employees suffer from this condition.
Now, under normal circumstances, these would be valid grounds for grievance, however, many of the aggrieved individuals have never initiated growth-inducing plans to propel themselves forward. They have been content to watch the world of work evolve, without owning responsibility for their own development and have been equally content to vilify their employers for not doing enough to accelerate employee progress.
Additionally, have you noticed that there are swaths of dissident employees who spend an inordinate amount of time being subversive? They are bent on creating disharmony and upending the smooth running of their departments. These individuals have a disruptive agenda that is rooted, often, in their own insecurities, unfulfilled desires and unresolved issues (or traumas). The workplace becomes their battlefield and their colleagues are cast as “the enemy.”
Every chance I get, I preach to individuals that they are in charge of their professional development. People need to stop allowing their standard of existence to be dictated by their employers and take charge of how high they climb and how far they travel.
The eventual question will be, not how many employees are disengaged, but how they arrived at this place, in the first place.
Let me switch lanes now, because I do need to speak about the individuals who are gold standard employees, but who are under-recognized. They show up, deliver high performance consistently, add value to the business brand and are all-round gems. However, they are not recognized, nor valued for their stellar contribution and so, become disheartened and withdraw their enthusiasm.
Over time, these are the same employees who will “quit quietly,” leaving the business in a constant state of churn for talent, competence and expertise.
Disengagement has many faces. I’ve scratched only the surface in this article. What I can say, is that every business has to examine itself to determine how many of its employees suffer from this condition. May I suggest, that the numbers, unsurprisingly, may be higher than expected?
The eventual question will be, not how many employees are disengaged, but how they arrived at this place, in the first place.