Without {big} data, you are blind and deaf and in the middle of a freeway.” — Geoffrey Moore
June 2024 - Gallup has just released their 2024 Report on the State of the Global Workplace.
It’s essential reading for leaders at all levels in business.
Absent of crucial insights into the state of the workplace, it’s pretty hard to know what are the right actions and decisions to be taken.
Like the Geoffrey Moore quote, who wants to be deaf and blind in the middle of the freeway?
Let’s jump right in with a reality punch in the face (directly from Gallup).
Then, I’ll point to some ideas.
Data Point 1 - Actively Disengaged
“I could push it, but I’m so frustrated with the way things are going that day that I’m like, ‘You know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna do nothing.’” — STEVEN Line Operator Canada
How many people inside your organisation are actively disengaged like Steven?
Gallup found that actively disengaged employees — i.e., workers who actively oppose their employer’s goals — comprise 15% of the global workforce.
15%.
How many people are there in your organisation?
If it’s 1,000 people, that 150 people.
10,000 people and it’s 1,500 people.
Data Point 2 - Manager Skills
Gallup found that 70% of the variance in team engagement can be attributed to the manager.
In the report, 41% of employees report experiencing “a lot of stress.”
Stress varies significantly depending on how organisations are run.
Those who work in companies with bad management practices (actively disengaged) are nearly 60% more likely to be stressed than people working in environments with good management practices (engaged).
Experiencing “a lot of stress” is reported approximately 30% more frequently by employees working under bad management than by the unemployed.
Data Point 3 - Window Dressing
Popular solutions include wellbeing apps or stress management training.
Recent research by Oxford University finds “little evidence in support of any benefits from these interventions with even some small indication of harm.”
These problem can’t be solved with a yoga mat; it requires action from management
Data Point 4 - Why this matters
In a 2024 meta-analysis, the largest study of its kind that includes data from more than 183,000 business units across 53 industries and 90 countries, Gallup has found that high-engagement business units are likely to see significantly higher employee wellbeing — as well as higher productivity, profitability, and sales — than low-engagement teams
So what’s the Answer?
According to the Oxford study, “organisation-level initiatives such as improvements in scheduling change, management practices, staff resources or tailored job design.” In other words, changing the way people are managed at the organizational level.
That’s pretty high level.
Let’s go a level down within the broad level of management practices.
I think it comes down to the way that we as humans interact with each.
This requires a better understanding of how the human animal operates.
I sense in the world we live in today, we are moving further away from this, rather than closer.
What’s creating that movement?
I think we interact more with technology than we do with humans.
I fear human skills are being degraded.
I learnt this first hand when I was on the brink of divorce.
That led me to start to develop a deeper understanding of the crucial human skills I think we need to thrive.
I think this is the answer to a better-motivated workforce.
Here’s what I think is the start of that blueprint.
Source: Gallup - State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report
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