a miss that sabotages
from the inside out
 
 the challenge
Disengagement.
 
People experiencing a disconnection on why their work matters and/or a lack of psychological safety in their workplace environments that leads to actively disengaging:   costing organizations money, morale and mission misses. 
 
the potential
When every team member can connect their day to day tasks in meaningful ways to fuel the organization's mission and do it in environments that are healthy, their work takes on new energy and the risk of disengagement decreases.
 
Disengagement can start subtly and with very little noise. It can even be silent.  Yet is a slow death from the inside out.
 
Silence does not necessarily mean satisfaction.
 
Disengagement can be a survival strategy to stay in a job that holds little meaning or a workplace environment that feels unsafe, unkind and/or uninspired due to livability needs [food.shelter.medical] or fear of the process of changing jobs.
 
Disengagement is a big deal because it can be the first tangible symptom observed and a significant clue to leaders that the team is vulnerable to another “great resignation” event.  
 
Often a preventable one. 
 
I remember hearing from a leader that a team member who had in the past shared out concerns and complaints about processes was now doing well…because they hadn't heard from them for a long time.  Ugh.  I had to break the news.   This could be a symptom of yet another exit in the making.  Costing the organization money, morale and missed opportunity to activate the mission. 
 
“Emotion isn't noise.  Emotion is data.”  -Sigal Barade
 
There was plenty of “data” gathered but unfortunately dismissed.  Leading the team member to move into survival mode by actively disengaging.
 
When the pain got bad enough the team member  risked the things that had held them back from quitting [livability. fear].
 
Authentic engagement does not mean everyone is happy all the time or finds great pleasure in every task.
 
Authentic engagement is rooted in a team member knowing how their day-to-day tasks impact the mission AND if they don't know they can safely ask.
 
How their day to day tasks bring the mission to life.
 
How if their job didn't exist or the tasks not completed would impact the team, the customer, the mission and ultimately the brand.
 
 
 
Where do we start?
Start to ask team members if they know how their work impacts the mission. 
 
Consider how to help them link their work to the mission. Not one time but on a regular basis to inspire ongoing engagement and meaning in the work.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
create a conversation
Invite your teams 
to explore ways to 
reinvent, rethink and rediscover 
daily work so it links 
to the mission.
 
Give them an opportunity to ask curious questions and 
inquiry safely 
how the work connects or could better elevate the mission.
 
Consider the risk if you don't.
 
 
 
a table principle @work
 
Relentlessly connecting the work [programs, processes, polices, positions] to the mission offers a protective factor from busywork that leads to active disengagement.
 
 
                          Here's to creating conversations that engage                          your teams to elevate the mission!
                                    Sandy
 
“Sandy speaks to the soul.  Was so necessary when we are feeling exhausted and in some areas discouraged.  The strategies invited us to practice and process how we can build resiliency into our daily work.”
                 —human resource professional
 
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