Indifference in the Workplace & How to Address It

I was (and actually still am) a HUGE fan of the show, Friends.  Remember how we all discussed who our favorite “friend” was? They certainly went through all kinds of personal and professional changes in the ten years we got to spend with them.

I’ll never forget the episode when Chandler was getting ready to head out to work one day and said, “Well, I better get to the office, because if I don’t show up and do the numbers…nothing much is going to happen and it’s probably not going to matter.”

At the time, I laughed a lot at that comment of course, which was the goal, but, sadly, this is a reality many people are feeling every day. They believe their work doesn’t make a difference and it doesn’t really matter if they show up or not. And there’s nothing funny about that.

OUCH! 

Indifference costs companies billions of dollars every year. Yes, BILLIONS.

Why?

 Because when people don’t think they or their work matters, they stop engaging, do the bare minimum, quietly quit, or leave altogether. 

 They probably also speak poorly of the company to their family, friends, neighbors, and community. (And maybe even to the customers they serve.)

 The low productivity, high turnover rates, and bad publicity all add up to major expense for the company as a whole, and that doesn’t help the morale of the people still showing up every day.

 So what do you do?

 For starters, you acknowledge your employees on a regular basis, thank them for everything they do, tell them what a pleasure it is to work with them, and remind them how much their work matters to the company as a whole. 

 Teach everyone to be mission-minded. In other words, do more than put up a mission statement on your website that no one can remember. Talk about it in meetings, discuss how each role plays a part in fulfilling the mission. 

 When people feel connected to others, part of a true team, and buy into the importance of what the company is doing on a bigger scale, they will be more engaged and passionate about what they are doing.  

They will come to work more excited and leave more fulfilled. 

You won’t hear nearly as many “Chandler-like” musings when you keep the meaning behind the work at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

If you’d like to know more about how The K.I.N.D.N.E.S.S. Code™ can support you in addressing employee engagement or turnover concerns, DM me on LinkedIn or email me at cindy@cindysmarsh.com.