What Is The Great Gloom And What To Do About It
Not long ago, we emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic and discussed the Great Resignation. Times have changed, and the Great Gloom is a new problem for the corporate world.
The Great Gloom is a description of the current decline in employee engagement. It has been very low for ages, but it seems to be getting even worse recently. Over the last four years, employee happiness declined at 6% a year, with 2023 seeing the biggest drop of 9% to date.
What are the major causes?
Return-to-office mandates often drive disenchantment among office workers. They have become accustomed to flexibility and control over their work hours, making them disengaged when these freedoms are taken away.
Another major factor is the lack of meaning in their work. Employees become disengaged when they fail to understand the purpose and impact of their work. They need to see that what they do has a clear sense of purpose.
Cost-cutting measures and a focus on efficiency often result in understaffed teams, forcing employees to handle heavier workloads. This creates a more stressful environment and, once again, leads to a disengaged workforce. This issue is particularly evident in service organizations.
Recurring rounds of layoffs that are poorly communicated, unexplained, and seemingly endless also contribute to employee disengagement. People become anxious about being the next one on the list and dread going to work.
Additionally, the general negative atmosphere in society plays a part in employee disengagement. When employees feel that the world is deteriorating, it undoubtedly affects their ability to enjoy their work.
What is the impact?
Disengaged employees will certainly impact the company’s overall success, particularly in four areas: productivity, quality, innovation, and personal development.
Disengaged employees are less productive than those who are highly engaged. When someone is not interested in their work, they won’t focus on it as well, spend less time on actual tasks, work slower, and generally won’t give their best effort. A broken reward system often contributes to this. When there is no link between hard work and rewards, it’s no wonder that people don’t understand why they should work hard.
In addition, disengaged employees will produce lower-quality output as they lack pride in their work. They come to work solely for the money and don’t truly care about the quality of what they produce. They won’t give it their best effort without seeing the meaning and purpose behind their work and how it aligns with their core values. It’s just about the paycheck, not the results.
“Perhaps the worst thing for employees is that disengagement often leads to apathy and a lack of concern about their careers.”
Perhaps the worst thing for employees is that disengagement often leads to apathy and a lack of concern about their careers. They stop trying to learn new things and improve in their jobs. They avoid taking on new opportunities and assignments that could lead to promotions and better positions. This lack of growth then perpetuates further disengagement.
This results in a lack of interest in what’s happening within the company. People stop caring about their jobs, the company, and the team. They no longer try to come up with new ideas, and creativity and innovation suffer. People even refrain from raising concerns and remain silent. They simply don’t care anymore. This is the worst impact on the company, as jobs are filled by people who don’t even care enough to voice their disagreements. They feel that their voice doesn’t matter and there’s no point in trying to change anything. They’ve simply given up.
What can you do to re-engage the workforce?
Address the root causes and start with the basics: ensure that you are not actively creating a disengaging culture. Make sure the performance management and reward systems are fair. Ensure that the right people are in the right jobs and provide the necessary training and support so that everyone has the means to do a good job.
Create psychological safety by listening before you act and avoiding retaliation. Never assume what others want. We have stopped listening to each other, which negatively impacts our relationships and prevents building trust.
Explain the reason for being, making it specific for each individual how their work helps others. It is not about the company mission statement; it is about everyone understanding at an emotional level how their work impacts the lives of specific individuals. For example, explaining to an accountant how their work helps the person sitting next to them pay for their kids’ dinner is much more powerful than trying to tie it into an increase in company revenue.
Walk the talk and do what you said you were going to do. If the leader doesn’t have credibility and is not trusted by the team, there is very little they can do. No one will listen to the message if they don’t trust the messenger. Building credibility and trust is essential. Be clear on what you stand for and what your principles are, and then stick with them and fight for them.
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Create dialogue and follow the “disagree and commit” principle. When implementing a change, allow the team to voice their suggestions and concerns. You may make the final decision, but you should listen to others to get the complete picture and give the team a chance to be part of the decision-making process. If your boss makes the decision, make sure they hear your thoughts. Once the decision is made, regardless of how unpopular it may be, commit to it. If you are not willing to commit to the decision, you should leave. If you stay, even if you disagree with the decision, you need to embrace it and do your best to make it happen.
Care personally and show people that they matter to you as human beings. Lead with compassion. When people see that you care about them and not just the balance sheet, they will be more willing to reciprocate that care with good effort. Work is not only about actual production; it is also about relationships.
Putting it all together
Great Gloom may be a newly coined term, but the reality of decreasing employee engagement in the corporate world has been true for many years, with no end in sight.
To address the root causes, we must start with the basics. This includes having a well-trained management team, implementing fair and inclusive processes, and providing the necessary support and tools for employees to excel in their roles. It is essential to explain to everyone their purpose and reason for being within the organization and to create an environment of psychological safety.
It all begins with you, as a leader, building your own credibility by walking the talk. Listen actively to others, show genuine care for them as individuals, and foster open dialogue before making any major life-changing decisions.
What are your thoughts on the topic? Do you believe that Great Gloom is a thing? How do you deal with disengaged employees? What are your tips and tricks on what to do to increase engagement and to be engaged yourself?
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Originally posted on my blog about management, leadership, communication, coaching, introversion, software development, and career The Geeky Leader or follow me on Facebook and Twitter: @GeekyLeader