Remember When...

Do you remember school being your everything?

The space you went to play, learn, gained extended family members through your friends and even extra parents in your teachers. School functioned in multiple ways for many students and now, those students have grown up and become employees. However, the expectations have not?changed. Our workplaces are now being seen as environments for us to connect and socialize with coworkers, receive guidance and support from our managers and if you are lucky, become known by the boss in such a manner when anything goes wrong, you have that extra support.

After all, in school, the principal knew you as the good kid and knew they would be able to expect so much of you as you went out into the world of work.

The daunting reality is that work, does not care about you half as much as school did. You are now just another employee that is being asked to perform toward creating quality bottom line outputs. No one cares to really know you or swap snacks at lunch time.?

Work has caused many of us to collapse into ourselves. Instead of gaining encouragement with a leader board decorated with stars for improved spelling each week, you are now tasked to compete with your fellow employee/staff member for the position level above you; even though the likelihood is low, as that manager has been there forever and has no goal of growing in their own professional wheelhouse. Our you have a manager that is absolutely encouraging, but leadership of the organization reflects very little if at all, the characteristics you value as a professional and as a leader.

And so, you become numb, withdrawn or just go day by day as this job pays the bills and you need at least that to keep going in your now adult life. This adult life you so eagerly looked forward to as a child because you felt "you could do what you want" and now look at you, in a job where day in day out you feel stuck. Or maybe, just maybe you are part of the lucky few who absolutely love their job and feel fulfilled! If you are part of that group of folks, feeling fulfilled in your job, I am cheering for you and certainly wish you continued success and fulfillment.?

If you are in the group of folks who feel work is just what you have to do for now, but you know you are detached, listless, and certainly unfulfilled, but it is easy enough so you just keep going, then you can certainly be better supported. You just have to ask.

There are companies that are actually taking the well-being of their employees more seriously now, as they are recognizing the decline in quality outputs. Human Resource units across various sectors have taken on the added duty of initiating well-being and quality performance measures for their teams. The trick is how sustainable are these attempts given the load of work HR is already responsible for?

The new Gallup report addressing the State of the Global Workplace, has noted some interesting aspects of the experience of work, and speaks to how deep some of our expectations in childhood roll into our expectations as adults.

Globally, 1 in 5 employees (20%) report they have felt lonely in the previous day of work. This speaks to the desire to be connected to our colleagues as we work. Work satifies that social connection for many of us. As it related to stress, work may not be a direct source of mental health strain for employees, however, it was found that those having bad workplace experiences, also felt increased negative feelings in other areas of their life. Suggesting that stress at work, amplifies stress in other aspects of life and vice versa.

A marked difference in overall well-being was also noted in the report, showing a decline globally, in the number of employees reflecting on their degree of well-being at work. This was most apparent among employees 35 years and under.?

Remember the conversations not so long ago about the "quiet quitter" those employees that show up to work, but are truly disengaged and just checking the boxes on their task list day by day...they are now the "actively disengaged" and it has been found that this active disengagement decreases when employees feel they are able to find new jobs quickly. Meaning, the better the job market in that employee's area, the sooner they can find a new job and revive their focus and possibly enjoyment of work. Therefore reducing the length of time they spend in the "actively disengaged" space.?

Anyhoo, I am not going to go into a dissection of Gallup's report. For me it was juicy and satisfied my inner geek. What is clear, at least for me, is that now more than ever, companies must shift their operating tide to account for more meaningful experiences at work. Employees are seeking deeper meaning in their work and feel most comfortable when their work allows them to grow i.e. they feel challenged and?have positive social?dynamics with their colleagues. Sounds simple enough right? However, companies are not built to ensure these elements exist in their cultural fabric. Companies are built to achieve specific outcomes and keep those outcomes coming. It then falls to the employees to be vigilant and to seek the necessary supports they need, usually outside of work, that will enable them to be better professionals. Sadly, many employees feel they do not know where to go and not confident enough to commit to their own professional well-being.

So as much as we want to go to work and be able to play with our friends in the sandbox and then learn a thing or two about numbers and shapes, we are struggling at work. And this struggle is not going to stop any time soon. I just wish more folks would know they do not need to endure such struggle and there are many resources here for them. As someone who stepped out of that conditioned belief, that "I am just an employee, and this is just how work is" I look forward to supporting others who are ready to make that leap. Becoming the unconditioned professional is possible?and it is healthier adult thing to do ;)

Be Well!

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