Shining a Light into the Deep, Dark Place of Employee Disengagement
Every organization has them—those employees who assume the worst about the company or their boss and loudly verbalize their assumptions about the “real” motives behind new organizational policies or disagreement with the new direction of the company. These employees very quickly imagine the worst possible ramifications of what might happen to them or their work in the face of organizational change. They let their minds wander to a deep, dark place of possible negative outcomes rather than seeking to understand and support the organization’s change initiative. Based on the current mood in my organization, our deep, dark place seems pretty crowded. You can get a peek into that deep, dark place in many places in my organization. On the Graffiti Wall—an anonymous comment board that fills quickly with negative or disparaging comments. The annual Employee Engagement Survey, which shows a continuing downward trend of mistrust...