Zombie Workforce...What happens when we don't matter

YOU MATTER

As a person in authority, you can always create activity. You have the power to do so, since you hold  the proverbial whip. The question isn't if the expected activity is happening on your watch, that's the minimum.  The real question is whether or not you are a leader who can engage activity.  In this depressed time of our economy where  by we have lost the gushing optimism that used to over-flow not so long ago, it has been replaced with a barricading pessimism from the hurtful lessons learned.  Over the course of these recent years, we've seen money easily slip away.  Hopefully, by now we've realized that money is only a necessary unit of trade and not what makes us matter. What good is a self-worth that can easily be taken away.  As the fallout of the economy continues, we are also seeing a human productivity fall out that goes beyond the lost homes and unemployment rate. Throughout this down turn, the workforce has lost its humanity and has been transformed into an emotionless cog. Or, at least the bean counters would like to think so.  The holy grail "bottom line" has created a fear fueled loyalty to those fortunate to be working that resembles activity, albeit minimum. A work force can only keep up the work activities in the fear of being fired for so long.  Eventually, the person loses all engagement and becomes a zombie worker.

Yes, on paper the work force is qualified. Yes, they know their stuff, but the business is only getting the minimum because as a corporate culture the individual has lost all relevance.  As Amy Finn, of PA Consulting Group states, "Disillusionment brought on by the tough work environment means that businesses are operating with a 'zombie' workforce." As the fallout of our economic debacle continues on, the fear management phenomenon that quickly took over as a knee jerk reaction to the bleeding budgets, appears to also be coming to the end of its utility. The glimmer of hope on the horizon that the talking-head financial analysts are missing is that researchers are beginning to pick-up with where they left off in 2004 by reminding us that people matter. Not just in a soft kum ba yah sense, but in a real, bottom-line, financial, zero sum, winner take all type of measurement.

When a person is engaged they give you more in terms of sacrificing, commitment, learning, creativity, and innovation. Think of the our most fundamental definition of "engaged." A man and a woman preparing to spend their entire lives together. For better or for worse. Their efforts and attention are focused on growing a life together.  Researchers have agreed that engagement produces, but are cautious to prescribe a memo style pill that employers can just hand out prior to the next quarter (See a USC study here and a Cornell study here).  Similar to the matrimonial definition of "engagement," the how-to is a moving target primarily stemming  from the fact that engagement is rooted in emotion. Yet, leaders must take notice of this next wave that has already begun

I believe Angela Maiers, a 21st Century leader educator may have captured in two words what researchers across the globe have spent countless time and energy trying to report on, which are: YOU MATTER.  Engagement is about significance. When an employee, spouse, child, parent or friend can know that they matter, it makes all the difference.  They are now significant in this crowed and drowned out world. Here is Angela's TED talk below.

I want to take this moment to thank my friends at Iron Coaching for having helped me a great deal with this enlightening point as I manage a team that competes in a zero sum arena. Having been someone who foolishly mistook activity for action, taking the concept of "You Matter" beyond the two words is the hardest part, and this is exactly what they helped me achieve with their people matter styled training. It's good to know that a community of learners and leaders are surfacing to re-shape the next wave of opportunity that is on our horizon, because the price-less human spirit is still alive and well.  And, you still matter.

Win Today!

Victor