Isn’t employee engagement confusing?

Isn’t employee engagement confusing? 

It can be really difficult to know if a person is engaged or disengaged in their day-to-day role. 

Let me give you an example…

I was at my local shop recently. I was served by a guy who I already knew was heading to university in September to study marketing, as he'd told me just a few days earlier. 

I asked him for 24 first-class stamps. Pretty straightforward, I thought — books of either 6 or 12. 

He had absolutely NO IDEA what I was talking about, and gave me a completely blank look, slowly followed by fear!

At first, he didn’t think they sold ‘stamps’, but I gently informed him that I had bought stamps from there just a couple of weeks earlier. He then said he needed to ask someone where in the shop they would be stocked, and I gently informed him that they would be kept in his till. He then couldn’t calculate how many books he needed to give me in order to fulfill my order of 24 (I put this down to embarrassment, and gently encouraged him).

Eventually, I got what I needed! 

Now, at face value, he may have seemed DISENGAGED; he told me he was leaving for bigger things, and had no idea about the product I was asking for.

However, I believe he was ACTIVELY ENGAGED; he was chatty, smiling, open, and honest; accepted guidance and help; and said "thank you" and "sorry". He was concerned about what impression came across. 

Who was at fault in this situation? His employer! They need to share more product information with this guy to help him serve their clients better. 

So, have a think this afternoon, who is engaged and disengaged in your office? And is disengagement a sign that you, the leader/employer, need to be doing something different? 

Just food for thought…