Asleep at the Wheel

I’m curious. When you saw the title of this month’s e-Tip, what did you think of? For some, it may have been the musical ensemble of the same name. This award-winning band’s music, first introduced in the early ‘70s, has been described by some as country, by others as western swing, and still others as boogie-woogie. (How long’s it been since you heard that term?) If you’re a fan of any of those genres, your mind no doubt went immediately to this Austin-based group.

On the other hand, you may have thought of the thousands of traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths caused by sleep deprivation, a growing national epidemic. According to 2017 figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, up to 6,000 fatal crashes each year may be caused by drowsy drivers.

Because I’m all about employee engagement and working with companies that want their people “plugged in”, my mind immediately goes to those folks who are “asleep at the wheel” in thousands of organizations across the country. They’re present in body but not in mind and spirit. They’re good at warming a chair, taking up space, collecting a check, but they aren’t impacting the company or their team in a way that’s positive and productive. In fact, the opposite is true.

Employee engagement happens when people:

Like what they do.
Feel that what they do matters.
Are involved and enthusiastic about the job and the organization.
Are willing and able to contribute to the success of the organization.

As you look around your workplace, what do you see? What do you hear? While you may not actually see people with closed eyes or hear the drone of snoring, do you detect apathy? A lack of commitment? Laziness? Do you hear negative comments, whining, complaining, dissatisfaction?