Willy Loman on his knees sobbing, “Attention must be paid!” during a scene from “Death of a Salesman” is my favorite moment of American theater. His wails were visceral, I wanted to shout out, “I care! You do matter!” Today, not quite 75 years after Arthur Miller wrote them, these words continue to be said by too many people. So many that the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, identified “Mattering at Work” as one of the top five priorities for improving mental health and well-being for today’s workforce which in turn reduces turnover and absenteeism while increasing profitability.
Mattering
Dr. Gordon Flett, author of “The Psychology of Mattering: Understanding the Human Need to Be Significant,” describes mattering as a result of our perceived value and significance. Simply put, what matters is your belief that your work makes a difference AND that others value you and your work efforts. It is a matter of respect. When people do not feel respected at work they “disengage” which shows up as withdrawal from group activities, decreased work quality, and more sick days. Eventually, they resign.
The Business Impact
Researchers point out that the business benefits when employees engage because they feel they are a valued member of that workplace community are similar for both large and small companies. The American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2023 Work in America Survey explored several factors that contribute to a workers’ feeling that they and their work matter. The good news -- 87% of the workers surveyed felt their work is meaningful. The not-so-great news -- nearly one-third (29%) of the respondents felt they do not matter to their employers.
Sociologists call this disengagement “workplace loneliness” for which attention must be paid. Loneliness affects both employee mental health and business profitability. The Society for Human Resource Managers (SHRM) research discovered the number of employees who reported feeling lonely at work increased from 33% in 2022 to 38% in 2023. Although some may attribute the increased workplace loneliness to remote work, the SHRM study found there was no significant difference in the rates of reported loneliness between on-site and remote workforces.
Workers who feel lonely/isolated often disengage. Cigna Healthcare sponsored a 2020 national survey in which 62% of employed adults considered themselves lonely. The respondents who identified as lonely incurred 5.7 more sick days annually. These stress-related sick days are estimated to cost more than $154 Billion annually. Factoring the turnover-related costs and lower productivity, loneliness can cost the U.S. economy over $406 Billion a year.
Increased retention and productivity can be achieved through simple programs that align with employee values and motivation. The following example describes a successful pre-pandemic employee retention program that was implemented by a small local construction company.
Mattering Case Scenario
Gale Rew Construction provides residential and commercial remodels. Labor retention was one of their top business challenges. Management wanted to improve job quality for the construction workers. They asked the workers to discuss their priorities and discovered their two top concerns were having their operational improvement suggestions be seriously considered and greater flexibility in hours worked.
Management responded by adding a worker representative to the primary decision-making committee and prioritizing 1:1 meetings. They also developed a flexible scheduling program that was managed by each employee. These relatively no-cost programs that validated each employee’s expertise and value resulted in a 20% increase in profitability.
Gale Rew developed an innovative program that met the needs of their small business. The next section identifies a framework and simple actions that can drive positive business results such as increased retention, decreased absenteeism, and enhanced productivity.
A Framework to Foster an Engaged and Productive Workplace Culture
Programs that enable an organization’s leadership to build and sustain a positive workplace culture incorporate elements that:
● clarify how an employee’s work contributes to the company’s mission
● include employees in the discussion of how to accomplish the goal
● recognize the value of the employee’s contribution
The challenge is that the skills needed to perform these tasks aren’t easily measurable. I have coached people to learn these intangible management skills and they shared their success stories with me. However, I wanted to know more. I wanted to learn how engaged their teams actually were. When I came across the Gallup Q12®employee engagement survey, I’d found a tool that measures the ultimate intangible – how well a manager engages their team.
The Gallup Q12® identifies 12 key outcomes that recognize a manager’s ability to engage and retain employees. Gallup followed the progress of several global firms that initiated employee engagement programs by comparing the before and after Q12® data and the associated impact these programs had on absenteeism, retention and profitability. The following provides a snapshot of how the Gallup Q12® tool can be used to measure a manager’s engagement level and the possible business outcomes including increased retention, decreased absenteeism, and increased profitability.
Connect Performance to Organization Mission
How clear is your organization's purpose to your employees? From my experience, people work more effectively when they understand the impact of their work on the organization mission. Taking the time to assure that someone knows how their work aligns with the team’s goal and how the team’s efforts help to achieve the organization’s goals is a valuable investment in an employee’s performance and professional development goals.
Essentially, when people understand the purpose of the work – some may call it the “why” – they take pride and ownership for the quality of their work. What would happen to your business if out of 100 employees, 58 resigned each year because they did not believe their work had value? This could happen based on the MetLife 2023 employee care survey that reports 58% of workers consider purposeful work an important criteria for their decision to look for a new job or stay with their current employer.
Several Q12® employee engagement survey questions map to the “Mattering at Work” component that directs employers to connect individual work with organizational mission. The increased engagement programs implemented at companies based on the results of the engagement inventories developed stronger connections to the organization mission and doubled the number of employees who strongly agreed with these survey items. Gallups’ research found the increased engagement scores directly mapped to a 41% decrease in absenteeism and a 10% increase in profits.
For example, an employee's experience during their first weeks with a company determines how they will engage with the company and its mission. A Jobvite 2022 survey found that 32% of employees who left a job within the first 90 days cited company culture as the reason. The on-boarding process and welcome people receive from their colleagues reflect the company culture and sets the tone for how people engage and work together. If employees do not connect with their colleagues and company culture during those first few days, they will begin their tenure disengaged and leave the company soon after their hire date.
Engage Workers in Workplace Decisions
Good decisions depend on the quality of communications among workplace colleagues. Leaders who initiate transparent communications are able to make better decisions because they recognize the value of the experience and different perspectives employees bring to the discussion to determine the best solution.
Including employees as part of the decision process to resolve a situation is one of the most effective ways to connect their role with the corporate mission. When people are consistently told what to do and find their suggestions not welcomed, they disengage. They do exactly what they are told – no more, no less.
The Gallup Q12® survey measures how employees feel their opinions are considered and valued within the organization. The programs companies implemented to better engage employees in workplace decision-making doubled the number of employees who strongly agreed with the survey item that their opinions counted at work. The results derived from Gallup’s analysis showed the increased engagement directly mapped to a 22% increase in employee retention.
For example, when someone is asked for their opinion, they are being told that they and their opinion are important. They fully invest themselves in the outcome. I have seen many people who were considered low performers suddenly become high performers because a manager asked them what they might do to fix a problem. They and their opinion mattered. They stood up a little straighter, and took ownership because they could make a difference.
Build a Culture of Gratitude and Recognition
Sharing genuine appreciation and respect for an employee's abilities and strong work effort creates a positive workplace culture and sets the tone for how people work together. Research across industries report companies with strong recognition programs are 12 times more likely to have a highly engaged workforce. Similarly, insincere praise, rewarding of poor performers, and favoritism will discourage employees and cause them to disengage.
O.C. Tanner surveyed people regarding the most important management actions that motivated them to do great work. “Recognize me” with genuine feedback was the leading preference for 37% of the respondents.
Because it cannot be replenished, time is the most valuable asset we possess. When managers take the time to answer a question or discuss feedback, they are subtly expressing their appreciation. These moments of undivided attention reinforce the value an employee brings to the organization.
The programs Gallup implemented to enhance the workplace culture and better support employee appreciation doubled the number of employees who strongly agreed with these survey items. The results derived from Gallup’s analysis reported the increased gratitude and recognition engagement programs directly mapped to a 31% decrease in absenteeism and a 12% increase in profits.
Very simple actions can create a culture of appreciation. For example, a brief morning hello, thoughtful feedback, or a genuine “good work” recognizes a person’s value to the organization. They know that they matter and become fully engaged. Recognizing people so they know that they and their work matter costs nothing and drives positive business results.
Summary
Willy Loman and the Wagner Company were captured in a moment of time by Arthur Miller. People were trapped by their circumstances with few options. Today, seventy-five years later, people have more options and opportunities. It is possible for people, along with leadership, to reshape an organization’s culture and create one that is based on dignity and purposeful mission where people are valued for their contributions to the organization’s mission.
People who entered the workplace during the latter part of the 20th century learned how to work in a very different culture than is the norm today. Given this and the much smaller Gen Z labor pool, business leaders who want to attract and sustain a top-performing workforce need to adapt yester-year workplace culture and practices to assure high retention.
Employees in the 21st century desire to be part of a collaborative positive workplace culture. They want to engage and proactively contribute to an organization’s success. At the end of the day, they want to know they and their work are valued.
When people are disrespected and made to believe they have no value, they disengage and begin to look for other employment. Until other employment is found, disengaged workers take more than the average number of sick days and perform poorly as shown by Gallup’s 2023 research that estimates disengaged employee behavior cost the global economy more than $8.8 trillion in lost productivity.
How can business leaders not afford to invest time in their most important asset – people? It is not difficult to create a positive, productive work environment where people engage, collaborate, and are accountable for their actions. Leaders simply need to pay attention and initiate conversations where they listen more than they speak.
Willy Loman was right “attention must be paid”.
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