I Quit but Forgot to Tell You! – Power Idea

By: Jerry Houston, Founder and CEO of HPISolutions

During the first quarter of 2021, we are going to focus hard on the topic of DISENGAGEMENT!

The title of this Power Idea is from a book written some years ago by Terri Kabchnick, a friend and industry colleague (her book is available on Amazon).  Terri could see early on this issue of disengagement was going to be very significant, and she was right.  According to polls by Gallup and Forbes, an estimated 60% of employees are either fully disengaged, or at minimum, not engaged at work and considering the idea to quit their current organization.

Terri indicates “As customers, we have received service from people who quit but never left.  As employees, we have been managed by bosses who quit mentally but are physically still on the job.  As managers, we have managed people who are still on the payroll but are no longer a part of the team.  We call these people disengaged workers.  Disengagement is a deadly disease that is spreading throughout businesses worldwide.”  In many ways, disengagement is worse than a person leaving, as they spread their unhappiness throughout your workplace.

What causes disengagement, what is the cost to organizations, and what can we as business owners, executives, and managers do about it?

Disengagement is the result of neglect by businesses to encourage engagement by their employees.  To be aware of how their people are feeling and connecting with a sense of belonging.  Most people do not go to work to be disengaged.  It is a disease that comes on slowly and manifests itself without a great deal of notice… until it results in morale issues, lowered productivity, and employees who feel not valued, not appreciated, and not involved in the vision and goals of the organization.  Complicating this issue further, we are living through extraordinary times with Covid, a badly damaged economy, and the current political environment in the country.  People are struggling with work from home, reboarding to the workplace, and a host of challenges such as school closing and so on.

There are many things an organization can do about keeping employees engaged and excited about their role in the organization.  HPISolutions will be conducting a live webinar on February 2, 2021, at 9 AM, MST to discuss the “pandemic” of disengagement, the causes, the costs, and the potential solutions to this growing dilemma.  Click here to register for this important event offered on a complimentary basis.  And… tune in to our Power Idea ezines during this quarter where we will continue to share concepts and practical things you can do to ensure that disengagement doesn’t grow at your organization.