The Great Detachment &
How to Overcome It
A recent WSJ article noted that 52% of Americans want to switch jobs - a 10-year high.
Gallop calls this the “Great Detachment.” Wow!
Imagine if half your employees left.
And much of the reason given for this has to do with what Herzberg terms hygiene factors.*
Is compensation a hygiene factor? Your answer will show your employee motivation IQ. Answer this as a comment if you want.
But employers and employees – don’t fret! You have much more control than you may realize.
Employers can take the advice from Patrick Lencioni’s book, “The Three Signs of a Miserable Job” – eliminate anonymity, irrelevance and immeasurement.
Gallop’s solution to this ties nicely into Lencioni’s thesis and can lead to a:
9% increase in profitability and an 11% improvement in work quality, and
32% reduction in turnover and a 15% improvement
Employees can take the advice of others (and my advice):
Determine what will make a difference to your firm and your career.
Find out who can help you do this.
Volunteer to take it on – come in or start work earlier, stay late or work late or on weekends, etc.
Take any frustration out by looking for advice discussions to fill in your Johari Window, a powerful tool for fostering awareness, humility, and growth.
The Johari Window is often visualized as a grid:
Johari Window
* Hygiene Factors prevent dissatisfaction but don't motivate people (e.g., job security, work conditions, relationship with colleagues). Having twice the amount of a hygiene factor doesn't lead to twice the satisfaction. Ask yourself the question, "Are you twice as motivated if your health benefits are twice as good?
Hertsberg's Two Factor Theory
Key Point: If these factors are missing or poor, employees will be unhappy. However, even if these factors are present, they won't make employees more motivated—they just prevent dissatisfaction.