People Don't Want To Work These Days

In the cadence of life, we've all had to do it — work. The exchange of skill and time for currency, a fundamental piece of our survival. For some, it brings an inherent sense of fulfillment. For others, it is misery epitomized. So, why the dichotomy?

Patrick Lencioni, a respected business consultant, has delineated three signs of a miserable job — anonymity, irrelevance, and immeasurement. It's worth exploring these elements not only from an employee's viewpoint but also from an employer's perspective, who might be oblivious to these subtle underpinnings of workplace despair.

Anonymity lurks in the shadows of the cubicle-laden plains, the open office seas, and the virtual spaces where faces blur into usernames. A faceless existence, void of personal recognition or understanding, breeds an isolation environment. When an employee’s individuality is cast aside, replaced by a number or a title, there lies the first seed of job misery.

Every employer should ask themselves: do they know their employees? And not just by their surnames, job titles, or badge numbers. Rather, do they understand their dreams, their fears, their passions? A person is a multidimensional being with thoughts and feelings that extend beyond the confines of an office or a Zoom call. Ignoring this complexity is a fatal managerial error.

Then there is irrelevance. A job becomes a hollow routine when an employee can't see their contribution to the overall picture, can't feel the gravity of their efforts in the grand scheme. Every cog in the machine should understand its purpose, its vital role in the mechanics of the entity. An employer who fails to convey this importance subjects their employee to a profound sense of insignificance.

Imagine running a marathon without knowing the distance or direction, no markers, no end in sight. This is immeasurement, the third pillar of job misery. Without a clear gauge of progress, a sense of purposelessness prevails. Every role needs tangible metrics, visible signs of achievement, and contribution. It serves as a compass, guiding individuals toward a tangible goal and fostering motivation. Employers who disregard this principle effectively throw their employees into an existential abyss of aimless activity.

Every employer lamenting the perceived lack of work ethic needs to pause, to examine their own practices. Is it the workers who don't want to work? Or is it that the employer has created an environment of anonymity, irrelevance, and immeasurement that saps the life from labor? For every employer confused by the satisfaction some find in their work, it is time to look inward.

Understand your people, recognize their individuality, their worth. Make each role count, and ensure that every employee understands their importance. Provide clear, achievable goals and celebrate the progress.

Work is more than just survival. It's an essential part of the human experience, a pathway to fulfillment. The role of an employer extends beyond providing a paycheck. It involves nurturing an environment where people feel seen, valued, and purposeful. This is the way to turn the tide of job misery, to instill fulfillment in labor. This is the way to make work work.