Listening Impact

While I’m skeptical when shown absolute numbers about the condition of the workplace, I do accept the premise behind them: few people are really happy at work.

Following are some of the dismal figures from studies:

Towers-Watson, Global Workforce Study

• 20% are engaged (they don’t say though that 80% are disengaged)
• 50% don’t feel inspired by leaders
• 53% don’t feel leaders are trustworthy
• 58% don’t think senior management cares about talent development
• 61% don’t think leaders deal effectively with poor performers
• 62% don’t feel leaders have interest in their well-being

Gallup, Workplace Study

• 49% are not engaged and 18% are actively disengaged
• $350 billion per year cost of disengaged workers to the US economy

Great Places to Work Institute

650% ROI to stockholders from the organizations on their list

There is:

• Low turnover
• High engagement
• Constant innovation and agility
• Ever-growing customer satisfaction

The numbers in these studies don’t tend to change year-after-year, nor do the questions asked that determine the answers. Still, some other findings do support the results. When people are exchanged from the best to the worst places to work, they change. There’s evidence that says when top performers are put into a low performing environment, they gradually falter and fail. But there aren’t a lot of studies done on the poor performers going to a top-notch outfit. Have you known people who said they were failing where they worked before coming to your organization and flourishing? Share those stories.

I tend to believe that the purpose in life and leadership is creating value. I once heard a very inspiring motto that I feel is the best way to articulate that belief and be a positive influence, anywhere/anytime.

What choice can I make and action can I take, in this moment, to create the greatest value?

My choice was to write this post to you, someone who is not one of the negative statistics, but someone who adds value.