Most of us will spend about one-third of our lives, working, which is 90,000 hours on average.
Yet too often, people treat work as a necessary evil, and as though it is something we have to suffer through, in order to live the other two-thirds of our lives.
When there is a disconnect for you about your work, you will experience feeling burnt out, being bored, and demotivated. According to a recent Gallup Poll, nearly 85% of employees are not engaged or are actively disengaged at work.
Disengagement shows up in various forms, but generally it is apathy toward your job. When you are disengaged, you are unwilling to put in the extra effort, lack enthusiasm, and do not enjoy your role like you once did. It is an overall discontent with what you do.
The reasons someone disengages at work are exclusive to that individual. But often, it is their relationship with their direct manager, or their own perception of the organisation that they work in, and the situation they find themselves in. There can be endless reasons why you are disengaged at work. But if we peel through the layers, it fundamentally comes down to your unmet needs.
For leaders, to determine if your team members remain engaged, there are a few benchmarks.
The people who work for you need to know what is expected of them at work, and are provided with the resources they need to do the job. A leader's role is to create a conducive environment to give staff the opportunity to do what they do best at work.
Aside from this, leaders must give recognition and show their team members some level care. Employees need encouragement for their own development, and equally, need to feel that their opinions count, and are appreciated.
Most importantly, the purpose and the mission of your organisation needs to make your employees feel that their job is important, and that collectively, they feel committed to producing quality work.
The bottom-line for leaders is to realise that engaged employees produce better results.
As individuals, we can take some steps to get our personal engagement levels up. Here are my recommendations.
Learn to speak up
It is very "Malaysian" to keep silent even as we feel disengaged or disconnected. The reality is that of a lot of our demotivation can be linked directed to our relationship with our manager or line leader. The same Gallup Poll found that up to 70% of the variance in an employee's level of engagement is directly linked to their manager.
Being able to have honest conversations with your boss about how you are feeling is an significant step to reconnect with your job. You must also be comfortable giving constructive feedback to your line leader on where they can improve, and what you need from them. This is a dynamic step in turning around your own disengagement. Your manager or boss has a huge impact on your mental health. Having a "good boss" can literally turn your life around.
But always also remember to centre yourself bringing value to the table for these hard conversations with your boss. No one will be inclined to hear you, if you yourself are inept at the work you do.
Take regular breaks from your work
It is necessary, in fact crucial that you take regular breaks from your work. Breaks always give you fresh perspectives about your need to work, and your connection with the job that you do. Being exhausted from the rigmarole of work makes everything seem worse than it actually is. Do not take pride in not taking vacations. It is an outdated culture.
There are numerous studies and surveys that indicate that over 90% of employees say that they feel happier when they take a break, that it helps them gain a fresh perspective, and that regular vacations are an important part of maintaining their mental focus.
Create a personal development plan
Sometimes, you will find that your disengagement is caused by a lack of learning and development opportunities in your current job. If so, take your development into your own hands. You will need to thinking it through and create a personal development plan. Your plan must outline what you want to learn, and why obtaining these new skills will help you. Then, work out the resources you will need.
Speak to your boss or manager about your rationale and plan I have had experiences where my team members have come to me with their plans and I have supported them with funding and time off work, because they have demonstrated the commitment to learning.
Any job or role can be a purpose or calling, depending on how you view it. It is entirely subjective, and if you look hard enough, you will find meaning in even the most mundane or unpleasant tasks. The key is figuring out how your role helps to advance something that you value.
This keeps you engaged at work.
*The writer is managing consultant and executive leadership coach at EQTD Consulting. He is also the author of the national bestseller 'So, You Want To Get Promoted?'