THREE REASONS WHY PEOPLE DISENGAGE WITH WORK & LIFE (PLUS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SHIFT THAT)
Engagement. It’s one of THE buzzwords in workplaces everywhere. In an effort to identify solutions for our clients, I’ve spent some time considering why people disengage. All behaviors are triggered by something else. I love BJ Fogg, PhD’s formula of B = MAP, which stands for Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Prompt.
So given this understanding around the power of prompts, I see three major opportunities for driving engagement. But first, let’s look at what might be triggering the disengagement.
Confusion (or Lack of Clarity)
In sales and economics, you may have heard the phrase, “A confused buyer doesn’t buy.” I’ve adapted this statement to say, “A confused employee doesn’t engage.” Some sources suggest that individuals make about 35,000 decisions each day. I think it’s reasonable to anticipate that many people are out of bandwidth to continue making decisions when something is unclear. It’s easier (and safer) for the person to say, “no, thanks,” when there is uncertainty and potential risk. This all makes perfect sense to me. It’s difficult for someone to get to “yes” if they have no idea what they are getting into.
Solution: Inconsistency can be the death of an initiative. Identify ways your organization might be more clear, consistent and communicative about all program offerings, the benefits and what to expect. Life has enough uncertainties – let's be crystal clear on the things we can influence. It’s not enough to say what is going to be offered – clarify how often (cadence), with whom (facilitator) and why it’s a great idea to attend (value proposition). Plus, offer encouragement to attend during paid hours (if this can be approved internally).
Boredom (or Lack of Interest)
The opposite of engagement is boredom. When someone is fully engaged, content, and immersed in the task at hand, psychologists call this being in a state of flow. The opposite of flow would then be characterized by being checked out, watching the clock and staying distracted by an infinite number of other things. So how do we solve the boredom trigger? I can’t say this is a quick fix, but I do see opportunity (as a workplace culture) to resolve some of this potential boredom within the workday.
Solution: Identifying a way (or ways) to give individuals some autonomy could be a means driving interest and engagement at work. For example, leaders can opt to allow employees to make choices around their contributions to the team or committees, their professional development or the scheduling of their workday. Also, by providing some private, personalized coaching as part of your wellness initiative, it allows the individual to explore topics that are of personal interest. It’s difficult to meet everyone’s unique health and wellness needs with group activities alone. It’s common for group topics to be more fundamental in nature, and that alone could lose some of your employees’ interest.
Insignificance (or Lack of Meaning)
If someone is unable to connect to their work and find a sense of meaning or purpose in their day-to-day role and responsibilities, this lack is likely to become apparent in their attitude, efforts, mood and ability to show up as a team player. This discontent is easy to read and can negatively impact workplace culture and collaboration. It IS possible to support people with finding significance in their work, even if the industry is less desirable or the role is a mundane one.
Solution: Help people to discover meaning in their work by reiterating how their role (or participation in a program) contributes to the greater good. Allow all employees to understand how you (as the employer) are positively impacting the community due to the success of the entire organization they contribute to each day. Finally, ask your employees about the missions and areas of interest that add meaning to their lives, and look for ways to nurture and celebrate those.
I’m not suggesting that improved engagement is a quick fix. What I am suggesting is that there are many variables that we collectively can influence … and where there is influence, there is impact. At Wellness Collective, we believe your workplace initiative can be MORE than an incentive program. With a little time and intention (and amazing leadership), it really can be a powerful way to shift and transform workplace culture. And where there’s amazing culture, everyone wins.
Author: Katy Tombaugh