What’s in a manager? It turns out, a whole lot. A recent Gallup Study (2013 Q12 Gallup Study on Employee Engagement in the U.S.) found that of the approximately 100 million people in the U.S. who hold full time jobs:
- 30 million (30%) are engaged / inspired
- 20 million (20%) are actively disengaged / quit and stayed
- 50 million (50%) are not engaged / apathetic
So what the heck is behind those very dismal statistics? Well, it turns out that:
- The 30 million (30%) who are engaged: “have great managers”
- The 20 million (20%) who are actively disengaged: “have managers from hell who roam the halls spreading discontent.”
- The 50 million (50%) who are not engaged: “are not inspired by their work or their managers.
And it doesn’t end there. The top 25% of the best managed teams had 50% fewer accidents and 41% fewer quality defects, in addition to incurring far less healthcare costs. The “managers from hell” are costing the U.S. an estimated $450 billion – $550 billion annually.
Wowza! Now imagine if your company could double the number of great managers and engaged employees? The Gallup study found that the 30 million engaged employees came up with most of the innovative ideas, new customers and have the most entrepreneurial energy. What an untapped powerhouse.