Hello again! It's Dr. Jean Latting.

I mostly try to stay focused on the positive aspects of my work – the potential to help thousands of people feel better about their work, their lives, and themselves.

The news, though, periodically threatens my optimism. Recently, the Gallup poll released its State of the Global Workplace 2023. The bulk of the report focuses on employee engagement, defined as “the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in both their work and workplace.”>

When I think of engaged employees, I think of one person whose leader described her as someone he could count on to “make a way when there was no way.” In other words, she showed up consistently and went the extra mile.

According to the report:

• 23% of employees are engaged – thriving at work. 
• · 59% of workers are “quiet quitting,” i.e., are not engaged. These are the clock watchers.
• ·And 18% are actively disengaged – Gallup refers to this as “loud quitting.” These are the saboteurs – those who would undercut the organization’s goals and deliberately harm the organization. 

It’s disheartening to think that only 23% of employees are actually engaged in the place they spend most of their time. The rest are just watching time go by.

I have seen this despair on the faces of employees in some organizations when we begin our work with them – the cynicism among those protesting that nothing will change. I’ve watched others staying silent, reluctant to say anything for fear of being accused of being too optimistic or not facing the reality of how it sucks to work there. Sometimes a few employees will tell me privately that it’s hard to work around such negativity.

But why is this? Think of the many suggestions employees might make to improve their workplace. Gallup lists the top three: sense of overall wellbeing from work/life balance, pay and benefits, and work culture. Which do you think is the most important?

Turns out, 41% say it’s the work culture. Pay and benefits (28%) and wellbeing (16%) are the next two.

What would improve work culture? It’s the managers! And the team! People want their manager to be more approachable. They want to have more autonomy, to have more learning opportunities, and to get more respect. They want to be part of a supportive team. They want to feel included and valued.

Do you know anyone who does NOT want those things? I can’t think of anybody.

The report also says global workplace stress is at an all-time high. I see this in my own work, my friends, and my family. People with well-paying jobs who are supposed to be living the dream are just stressed out. 

Think about that for a moment. 

We in Leading Consciously are dedicated to improving workplace cultures through providing managers with information on how to foster engagement – especially those in highly diverse organizations where sensitivities can run high. We are passionate about this.

Our President Jean Latting was featured in Valiant CEO discussing how she is dedicated to helping people fulfill their goals and give meaning to their lives through her company. We live by this quote from her interview:

“If leaders wish to see inclusiveness, they must demonstrate inclusiveness themselves.”

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