With record low levels of engagement, well over 50% of people saying they’re unhappy at work and an increasingly disenfranchised population, there is a problem in the way we’re running organizations.
And while I believe many contribute to this sorry state of affairs, senior executives are primarily responsible and could do the most to turn things around.
Surveys continue to point out that there is trouble at the top. A recent Kenexa High Performance Institute survey of approximately 10,000 people determined that almost three out of 10 employees distrust the senior leaders in their organization.
When I present this information at conferences, not surprisingly I am met with different responses from the different audiences. Employees and mid-managers rush up to me and universally tell me I am “bang on.” They thank me for stating publicly what they have felt for some time and ask me to please repeat my message to senior executives. When I challenge them to do that themselves, they tell me they’re not prepared to do so and risk losing their job, particularly when the economy appears so fragile.
Those who work in HR also agree, but come to me searching for ways to tell the senior executives they are the problem. HR practitioners often feel caught in the middle between employees and senior leaders and do not always have the organizational authority or credibility to challenge the behaviours of those at the top.
And then there are the senior executives. Quite a different, and might I say disturbing, reaction from them. They sit in bewilderment, apparently unclear of what I’m talking about. Convinced it’s not their problem, they all seem to smugly reassure themselves that they’re doing OK and I must be referring some another organization. Rarely does it occur to them that their behaviour might be the problem.
Typically I present my audiences with senior executives’ responses to the question, “What word would your employees use to describe your leadership?”
The list includes words such as visionary, inspiring, empowering, trustworthy, consultative, caring and honest. On presenting this list to the various audiences, senior executives nod their heads, while those in HR and employees laugh.
I then show a list of the words I hear employees use most often when it comes to describing senior leadership. The list is a bit different: out of touch, absent, well intentioned, arrogant, disconnected, shortsighted and self-serving. When I show this list to executives, they look at it with confusion and bewilderment, while other audiences nod their heads in agreement.
The difference in how my message lands has me convinced that my message is not off target. Ongoing survey and research studies also provide solid support. The reality is senior executives are leading in ways that significantly contribute to employees’ lack of engagement – and they do not know it – or at least are unwilling to acknowledge and act on it.
So what to do? No one I talk to expects senior leaders to be perfect. They just need them to be human and to be willing to work on their own development in the same way that they ask others to. Executive leadership in these crazy and uncertain times is exceptionally challenging. The pressures on those at the top are so considerable that in trying to meet so many stakeholder demands, somewhere along the line they’re not meeting the needs of their employees.
There are myriad ways for leaders to gather real information on whether you promote or inhibit employee engagement. And if you’re an employee or an HR practitioner, there are ways you can get the message to the top without jeopardizing your career.
I’ll expand on how those at the top can get real feedback on their performance in my next column. If you’d like to learn more and get going now, just contact me. •
