Gallup’s 2022 State of the Workplace provides a sobering view of our work lives:  79% of global workers are emotionally detached at work or miserable.  And for those workers answered yes to the following questions:

“Quiet quitters” voices are silently powerful.  Today’s corporate workplaces are largely built on management principles dating back 100 years.  Taylorism applied science to management improving efficiency and productivity.  Today data is viewed as necessary for competitive advantage, including human decisions.  Given the engagement data, organizations with cultural alignment for our minds, bodies and spirit, employees wellness, perform better in almost every measured category.

In modern workplaces, competitive advantage should be your people.  This is not just about upskilling, reskilling, training, or (gasp) more data.  This is about inviting people to connect, use strengths, and thrive.  It is about organizational alignment, sharing information and giving space to not only do the job but to collaborate and innovate.  

Human behavior research demonstrates that people thrive in environments where choice, collaboration, intrinsic motivation, and a sense of purpose are provided.  What can we do with the data and research to align workplaces and practices?  

Change of this type takes courage and a willingness from the individuals at the top to want to enact meaningful change.  Is this risk worth it? Can you imagine the competitive advantage we would have if we flipped the percentages so almost 80% of our workforce was engaged, happy, curious, and innovative at work?   

Additional Reading:

Management practices looking at new ways to engage employees at work include work by Frederic Laloux,  Gary Hamel & Michele Zanini, & Holacracy.

Companies that practice this type of management include Patagonia, Morning Star, and WL Gore.