When employees become disengaged, even going as far as “quiet quitting” it can be tempting for business leaders to lean on them to improve performance. But micromanagement could only make the problem worse. Here is what you should know about disengagement, micromanagement, and agency in the workplace, and some strategies to get your team to check back into their work.
The Disengagement Problem
Engagement is increasingly important to employees’ success at work. Millennial employees in particular, tend to value engagement in their work over other workplace perks. While competitive wages certainly are important, employees want to feel valued as a meaningful part of the team more than they want quick fixes like company happy hours or office lunches. But many modern workplaces aren’t living up to their workers’ expectations.
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A 2022 Gallup report said that only 32 percent of workers were actively engaged in their work, while actively disengaged employees climbed to 18 percent, resulting in one of the lowest ratios of engaged to disengaged employees in almost a decade. The report was released in the midst of a social media trend called “quiet quitting” where workers refused to do more work than was necessary to keep their jobs.
Disengaged workers aren’t excited about their work – including both success and failure. They may be unmotivated and lack inspiration and creativity. When employees disengage, they often avoid communication, confrontation, or feedback from their coworkers. Instead, they focus on keeping their heads down and their energy output low. However, once a worker becomes actively disengaged they may be more invested in expressing negative comments about their jobs, both at work and after hours. They may also take more time off, or exhibit a bad attitude while working.
Why Employees Disengage from Work
Workers can become disengaged for many reasons, some of which are beyond the employer’s control. If a worker is going through a divorce, struggling with health issues, or has lost a loved one, their personal lives may take priority over their jobs for a time, causing them to disengage from work.
However, when multiple employees are disengaged at the same time, or when disengagement continues over a longer period of time, it could be a sign of organizational dysfunction in the workplace. Employees may become disengaged because they:
- Lack autonomy in their work
- Do not have a clear purpose
- Are being asked to work outside their field of interest or expertise
- Feel their work does not matter
- See no opportunity for advancement or personal development
- Face interpersonal challenges with team members
- Have moral or ethical beliefs in conflict with the company’s stated or perceived goals
In these cases, it will often be up to business leaders to identify and correct the source of employee disengagement. One common culprit is a micromanaging supervisor.
Why Micromanagement Doesn’t Help Fight Disengagement
When employee productivity is down, employers may feel like the parents of disengaged teenagers, having to nag their team to meet expectations and simply do their work. But the truth is, nagging and other forms of micromanagement don’t help fight disengagement. In fact, they can make the problem worse. That’s because detachment is actually a coping mechanism that helps workers manage stress or discomfort. Disengaged workers are distancing themselves emotionally from their work, or their workplace, so they won’t be hurt when something doesn’t go their way. Micromanaging simply adds to the stress, and that, in turn, increases the need to take protective action.
Help Disengaged Workers Develop Agency in Their Work
Instead of “cracking down” on disengaged employees through micromanaging, or complaining when employees move on, smart business leaders will find strategies to maintain and improve key employees’ relationships with the company.
The key to fighting disengagement isn’t control, it’s autonomy. Just like the parents of “checked-out” teenagers, business managers need to invite employees to find their own ways to express, respond to, and resolve the problems they are facing at work. This is the opposite of micromanagement. It requires trust in your workers and a shared commitment to consensus, rather than top-down leadership. But by giving your employees more agency over what, when, and how they do their work, you will make space for invention and creativity, allowing disengaged workers the space they need to check back in. This may mean:
- Creating a safe space for employees to express frustration with bottlenecks, processes, or interpersonal issues
- Giving employees the agency and onus to respond to their concerns (for example, by asking “what would you like to do about it?”)
- Offering supports and suggestions rather than imposing absolutes
- Collaborating toward an improvement plan
- Finding measurable ways to hold each person involved accountable for the plan’s success
Get Help Responding to Disengagement, Micromanagement, and Agency in the Workplace
There are better ways to respond to disengagement than micromanagement. If you are struggling to keep your employees engaged and productive at work, you may need to examine how you are leading them, and whether you are promoting their autonomy and agency in the workplace. Working with an organizational development specialist can help. Through confidential interviews, data analysis, and business and leadership coaching, these outside consultants can help your business identify your disengaged employees, respond to their stresses and concerns, and develop programs that encourage engagement, agency, and accountability, so your workers will be happier and more invested in their work.
David Stanislaw is an organizational development specialist with over 30 years’ experience helping managers lead their staff and improve employee engagement at work. Contact us to meet with David to create a plan to respond to quiet quitting today.
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