A recent “USA Today” survey found that 53% of Americans are unhappy in their jobs. Given other reports and statistics about the lack of employee engagement in the workplace this should not come as a surprise. Nor is it just an American phenomenon.
Yet it remains a disturbing, even rather frightening, statistic. For how can any organisation expect to operate effectively if more than half the people are not happy?
It would be interesting to know what proportion of that number was executives, but it seems likely that a fair number would have to be. Either way it is cause for concern, because, if there are executives in that number, one has to question what sort of leadership they are providing, and if there are not, it seems pretty likely that there soon will be, simply due to the strain of trying to run a company where the majority are unhappy. After all loving, or at least enjoying, what you do is a prime requirement for a positive attitude – an essential ingredient for a successful operation.
Enjoyment engenders enthusiasm which generates the energy that powers emotion. Take the “E” or energy away from emotion and you are left with motion, and, as any physicist will tell you, motion is not possible without energy. Contrived though my etymology may be, the fact is that unhappiness drains energy, and any organisation of unhappy people is clearly going to lack energy and so function at sub-optimal levels, which has to be to the ultimate detriment of the collective.
Keeping with the etymological vein, it is worth pointing out that motion and motivation are derived from the same Latin root, and thus unhappiness not only breeds lethargy, but it also puts the brakes on motivation, thus compounding the drain on performance and the challenge for any business leader.
It has become rather unfashionable to talk about “manpower”, yet the essence of the problem here is the loss of people power. The loss of human endeavour associated with this unhappy situation inevitably results in a loss of human potential and ultimately unfulfilled lives. Consequently, in the same way that we still measure mechanical performance in “horsepower”, we need to take a fresh look at this whole “manpower” issue, whatever you want to call it, and find news ways to ensure that we change the work environment, not only to eliminate all the unhappiness in the workplace, but to help people lead more fulfilled lives, and come closer to fulfilling their full potential.
The beauty of trying to do so, is that it will be a win-win for everyone. After all:
“People are like sticks of dynamite… the power’s on the inside. But nothing happens until the fuse gets lit.” (Mac Anderson)
Managers and executives owe it to themselves and their organisations to find a way to light the fuse, and, given the percentages, as a matter of some urgency. Valuing people as assets and treating them as such will certainly act as a catalyst in creating a culture where this is possible, and engender the associated behaviour change that is demanded.