This one is going to be uncomfortable. U.S. employee engagement has dropped from 36% in 2020 to 31% today. Globally, it sits at 21% — a decline that matches what happened during COVID-19 lockdowns. The cost? An estimated $438 billion in lost productivity worldwide. (See also: The Four P’s of Engagement.) Organizations have responded by investing in engagement surveys, wellness […]
A few years ago, a client organization came to us with a familiar request: “We need resilience training for our managers.” We asked a few questions. Turns out, their managers were each overseeing 15-20 direct reports, handling two roles due to unfilled positions, attending an average of six hours of meetings per day, and responding to emails until 10 PM […]
A few years ago, I was working with a mid-level manager who was, by every external measure, succeeding. Promotions on schedule. Strong performance reviews. A team that consistently hit its numbers. But in a conversation that started as a routine check-in, she said something that stopped me cold: “I don’t know why I keep coming back.” She wasn’t burned out […]
Dan Goodman said it plainly in a recent LinkedIn post: “PIPs suck for everyone.” The employee wrongly being managed out through fabricated documentation. The manager forced to manufacture performance claims to justify a decision already made. The HR professional doing leadership’s dirty work. He’s right about all of it. But here’s where I’ll push back: PIPs don’t suck because they’re […]
