Leaders Need to Communicate Purpose to Jumpstart Engagement
Gallup provided their state of the business report for 2025 and engagement in the workplace worldwide fell for the fifth straight year to 21% costing businesses a total of $438 Billion in lost revenue. Managers feel less equipped than ever before, and let’s sit on the fact for a second that only 21% of the workforce is actually fully engaged. This is being measured in the Billions of dollars.
This is not to be blamed on the employees, or because they are lazy. It is because they don’t feel a sense of purpose when they show up to work. Granted a teller at a bank may not think that they do as much as a first responder, but it is the leaders and managers JOB to equip the employees to know what value they are bringing to the customers and the organization.
If they don’t, well you see the numbers above…
Employees need to feel the sense of purpose of why showing up day in and day out matters. If they don’t, then they will not do the tough things and just mail in their effort dreaming about what the weekend will hold.
Leaders and managers need to define the what the organization is doing for the customers. Especially now that the Millennials and the GenZ’s are in the workforce. They have a greater value on purpose and impact. If they don’t feel it and understand why they are showing up, they will find something else to fill that void. They need meaning, not just tasks.
When I first started in sales and was frustrated because I was not making end roads. That is when my mentor stepped in and let me know why we do what we do. It is to support small businesses that are working hard with products and services that will enable them to be better and work more efficient. That is such a better vision than sell more stuff right!
Leaders and the managers need to also connect the dots to how each role serves the mission that the organization is on. That may mean reviewing the duties and the roles to see how they help other functions of the business and then ask the employees what they like about the position and why. That is right, this is not just a one-way street, this is a collaboration.
I know it may seem daunting with all of the other duties that leaders and managers have, but if the teams are functioning well and working hard without having to motivate them don’t you think your future will get better? I have witnessed organizations that thrive no matter the environment and it is electric. You can feel the energy and why people are working so hard for the mission.
It all stops with the leaders and managers casting the vision and showing each employee why they matter to the mission and hopefully the mission is not just to make numbers for the quarter and make shareholders happy. The mission needs to be greater!
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