There is a lot going on in the world right now that can lead to negative feelings like despair and grief. But when it comes to hopelessness in the workplace, those feelings can lead to more than just a bad mood. Hopeless workers will become less productive, burn out, and even leave the company. If you are a manager, here is what you can do to put hope and purpose back in your employees’ work.
What it Means When Employees Feel Hopeless at Work
Researchers are calling it an “epidemic of hopelessness.” Workers in America and around the world are experiencing an increase in stress, depression, and, yes, hopelessness. One Harvard poll estimated that nearly half of Americans under age 30 are feeling these negative feelings at least several days a week. Gallup estimates that 41% of global workers are stressed “a lot of their day.” Only 52% describe themselves as hopeful.
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Without a positive vision for their professional future, employees’ motivation, inspiration, and innovation can all take a hit. The more hopeless an employee feels, the more they will disengage from their work or even leave altogether. That means that if your employees or team members are feeling the stress of an unstable workplace or unpredictable future, it could hurt your ability to meet the company’s strategic goals.
When Hopelessness Makes Its Way Into the Workplace
It is important to recognize that your employees’ feelings of hopelessness or instability may have nothing to do with what is happening at work. External factors from family trouble to health can contribute to your employees’ stress, making even reasonable expectations too much to bear. There may be nothing you as a manager can do to reduce or eliminate these external stressors, but you can make their workplace a safe and supportive place where they can focus on their work.
Why Your Company Needs Hope
For many traditional business owners, the idea that you should spend time, energy, and resources giving your employees hope may feel soft, or even counter-productive. Traditional leadership models were often based on the idea of stoicism, separating the work a person does from their feelings while doing it. But hope is more than just good vibes. Hope for the future of the company, career development, or even just the next phase of a project is what keeps your team going in the face of obstacles and hard times.
That’s why leaders should always be looking for opportunities to combat hopelessness and encourage employees in their work. By focusing on promoting employees’ success, you can improve employee engagement, which in turn drives innovation and company loyalty. If you want to avoid “brain-drain” and loss of talent, you need to prioritize giving your best employees something to look forward to in the workplace.
How Managers Can Combat Hopelessness in the Workplace
So if you can’t change the stressors your employees are experiencing, how can you combat hopelessness in the workplace? Here are some strategies you can use to inspire hope and improve positive outcomes for your employees:
Promote a Supportive Workplace Culture
Modeling emotional intelligence and empathy can show your workers that they have support in their job. Take steps to create an environment where employees are empowered to be vulnerable and discuss their feelings, stresses, and even mental health without stigma or punishment. By making the workplace safe for vulnerable employees, you can build stronger bonds among your team members, and even provide a respite for those struggling with other parts of their lives.
Encourage Time Off and Work-Life Balance
It may seem counter-intuitive, but giving your workers time off may make them more productive. When employees are feeling burnt out, they work slower and make more mistakes. Encourage your team members to use their vacation days and respect their boundaries between work and home life. Doing so will show your employees you respect them, give them a chance to recharge, and combat hopelessness that can come from feeling anonymous or unheard.
Offer Accommodations Where Possible
Another strategy for combating hopelessness is to accommodate your employee’s needs. This may mean offering flexibility with work schedules or time off, granting extensions or adjusting shift assignments, or even just providing a listening ear. It also includes setting reasonable goals for productivity and deadlines, and being willing to make adjustments when external stressors negatively impact productivity. By making accommodations, you show your employees that their work is valued and important, and they are more than just a cog in an uncaring machine.
Provide Resources for Professional Growth
Often, hopelessness can stem from a feeling that employees are working toward a dead end. Without a vision for the future of their career, employees may feel uninspired to try new things or work toward professional growth. Consider meeting with your employees to discuss their desired career paths. Then provide resources including mentorship, coaching, or training to help them meet their goals and become better professionals.
Communicate Openly About Challenges
Transparency and honesty is essential in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation. If there are obstacles or hard times coming for your company, you and your employees should be working together to identify concerns, discuss obstacles, and find solutions. Even if you can’t make promises about the future, knowing that they are contributing to the cause can help employees avoid feeling hopeless and keep them engaged in overcoming the problems your company may face, so you can all come out stronger together.
David Stanislaw is a leadership and executive coach with over 30 years’ experience helping managers and leaders understand their employees and combat hopelessness and other negative emotions at work. Contact us to meet with David and bring on a thought partner for your business goals today.
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