We’re all being asked to do more with less these days, but some people are feeling the pressures more than others. Are your employees still fired up about their jobs, or are they burnt out?

I’ve heard from friends and colleagues lately that they are seeing more disengaged employees than ever before. Dubbed “The Walking Dead” by many management experts, these are the employees who are just going through the motions. They do the absolute minimum that they have to do just to get by. I’m willing to bet that you pictured a co-worker or team member when you read that last sentence. Yep, we all know at least one person who is burnt out, checked out, and pooped out. And yet, he or she is still taking up space on the job. (Hopefully it’s not you!)

The sad part about all of this is that disengaged workers were usually once engaged, enthusiastic, productive workers. So why do they become so discouraged? Disengagement typically begins with a change in the work – whether it’s a new boss, assignments, a change in work location, or being overwhelmed with extra duties, etc. There are a variety of reasons why people check out.

More commonly people get disengaged because they get little or no support from their leaders. My friend and colleague was telling me recently that she is nearing the point of burn out because although she’s been pulling extra weight for quite some time and doing a great job, she gets no acknowledgement, appreciation or recognition from her boss.  

As  leaders, we all need to be concerned about disengaged employees. Why? Because disengaged employees eat into your organization’s bottom-line, while breaking the spirits of co-workers. Disengaged workers are much more likely to:

• Be less productive
• Have an accident
• Cause errors
• Have an absenteeism and/or tardiness problem
• Provide poor customer service

Okay, before I get you totally depressed, let’s talk about what you can do as a leader to prevent disengagement, and maybe even re-engage those on their way to the check-out counter.

1. Show some love! – Let your team members know how much you appreciate their efforts. A little bit of recognition goes a long way.
2. Treat employees as individuals – A one-size-fits-all approach to leadership just won’t cut it. Honor individuality and results, not the process or how they arrived at the results.
3. Create a greenhouse for your employees to grow – It is vital that team members have opportunities to continue to learn and develop their skills.
4. Make employees partners – Clue them in to the big picture. Let them know the rationale behind what they are doing so that they can take pride and ownership in their work.
5. Pay attention to top performers – They are always the first to leave if they become discouraged. Acknowledge their efforts. Sometimes just having you notice that they did their job with pride is enough to reignite them.  
6. Deal with poor performers quickly – Stop the spread of the “disease” before it gets to your top performers. When a leader ignores the poor performance of one worker, the morale of others is affected.
7. Respect employees –What you do as a leader is like a boomerang. It will always come back to you. If you treat people with respect, you’ll likely be treated the same way, and vice versa.

You as a leader have tremendous impact on those around you. Just letting team members see that you’re concerned about them may be enough to reignite their enthusiasm and get them Fired Up!

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Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication.  In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she cuts through the BS and talks through the tough stuff to solve your people problems.

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