Shall We Do The Math?
The world is experiencing a demotivation crisis at work. Who says it it's Gallup - a global company that has been measuring workplaces since 1935.
According to the same organisation, there are 3 types of workers:
the 'engaged' - known by employees who wear a T-shirt, highly enthusiastic, and actively contributing to business development;
the 'disengaged' - employees that do the bare minimum and psychologically have no connection with the business; they lack energy and enthusiasm;
the 'actively disengaged' ones - or 'saboteurs'; they are unhappy, contaminating everyone around them.
Today's working scenario has changed - we no longer have a job for life. (Thankfully!) Today's happiness is not just about holidays, family and friends; happiness and a life with meaning are now connected with the time we spend at work: 8 hours a day!
Nowadays, we want our job to be a meaningful experience, where we can develop and grow; participate and contribute; recognise and be recognised. And if this is true for employees, it is as well for employers, who will benefit from high performances.
Despite this being the desired scenario, it is not our reality. According to the most recent Gallup researches, 16% of Portuguese employees fall into the 'engaged' category. This means that the remaining 84% are unhappy and contributing very little to the progress of their businesses. This majority (often silent and expert in criticism) only works to pay bills, not retiring from work any psychological compensation or sense of accomplishment. They only do what is strictly necessary; neither more nor less.
Therefore, the first and most evident conclusion is that we still face work as an obligation, a sacrifice, and we do very little to improve the hours, days, years we spend on it.
The second inference about this staggering is that if we only work the minimum, we end up producing less. And by creating less, our business will be in an inevitable loss of opportunity, a decreased turnover and, consequently, a reduction in profits.
That's why I ask:
"Mr Employer, do you know how many of your employees are unhappy and doing the bare minimum?
Do you know how much money are you wasting by merely ignoring having by your side a disengaged team? “
This article was published on the HR Magazine Portugal: https://hrportugal.sapo.pt/desmotivacao-no-trabalho-vamos-a-contas/
