Employee Engagement is at an All Time Low. Here’s How to Fix It.
In recent years, employee engagement in the U.S. has been on a steady decline, reaching its lowest point in over a decade. According to Gallup, only 30% of U.S. employees are currently engaged in their work, with a significant drop in engagement among younger workers and those working remotely or on-site exclusively.
The implications of this trend are profound, affecting productivity, employee retention, customer service, safety, quality of work, and profitability. The root of this issue often lies in a lack of meaningful communication between leaders and their teams. A staggering 54% of professionals only “sometimes” have a “How We Work” conversation to establish essential rules, routines, and rhythms with new team members.
The Hard Truth
Avoiding tough conversations creates dysfunction, misunderstanding, and a lack of clarity, leading to hurt feelings, wasted time, and unclear expectations. Sound familiar? Many leaders, despite good intentions, avoid the Five Tough Talks that are necessary for team alignment. This avoidance fosters a “free for all” work environment, undermining positive team dynamics and performance.
When leaders shy away from brave conversations, it sends a message to employees that they don’t care, leading to plummeting performance and skyrocketing turnover rates. Research shows that leaders who have one meaningful conversation per week with each team member develop high-performing relationships more than any other leadership activity.
The Solution: Mastering the Five Tough Talks®
Here’s how you can use the Five Tough Talks® to avoid the pitfalls of low employee engagement:
How We Work: Establish clear rules, routines, and rhythms to ensure everyone is on the same page.
The Ask: Asking for help, permission, or acknowledgement fosters a culture of honesty and transparency, where tough issues are addressed head-on.
What’s Going On?: Taking the time to explore a change or shift in a person’s behavior, performance or the relationship, shows employees that you care and that they are seen.
Being Better: Being brave enough to confront your team members when they are not showing up, behaving, or performing at their best shows genuine care and concern for your team members’ well-being.
Moving On: When you acknowledge that something isn’t working and take the time to determine a path forward you keep team performance and projects from stagnating.
By making the brave move to have these tough conversations, you can transform your workplace culture, improve engagement, and drive exceptional results. It’s not just about avoiding the negative; it’s about creating an environment where your team can thrive.
Let’s make bravery a cornerstone of our leadership approach. Together, we can turn the tide on employee engagement and build workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.