The Wake-Up Test

The Wake-Up Test or How Engaged Are You?:

In early 2005, a Gallup poll found that 20per cent of Australian workers are actively disengaged at work and this costs the economy an estimated $31.5 billion per year. Actively disengaged employees are less productive, less profitable, less loyal, less likely to provide excellent customer service and are often disruptive at work. The survey of 1,500 Australian workers, however, found that only 18 per cent are engaged at work and providing their employers with high levels of productivity, profitability and customer service.

Managers who focus on their employees strengths or positive characteristics have the most engaged teams, with 43 per cent being engaged and only 4 per cent actively disengaged.

Absence of any feedback is produces abysmal results as managers who fall into this category have the least engaged workgroups with only 2 per cent engaged and 43 per cent actively disengaged.

[ Gallup reached its $31.5 billion estimate of the annual cost of actively disengaged employees through calculating the number of actively disengaged employees in Australia and then applying published statistical guides to the $39,400 per year average Australian salary. This yielded $3,316 in losses/worker (for the total population) that, multiplied by 9.5 million workers in Australia who are 18 years old or older, produced the $31.50 billion estimate.]

Now, in order to quickly assess if you are at risk of being disengaged, I often employ the “Wake Up Test”, This is rather useful in executive coaching as well. As we move from the state of ” death” or unconsciousness to consciousness, I might ask you to consider what are your first reactions to the new day (and your recovered consciousness). If you wake full of vim to tackle the new day, with more ideas and things to do gladly, you ‘ pass’ the Wake Up Test. if your feelings range from dread to lethargy, you at risk of turning up to work with a less than committed attitude (after all, The London Evening Standard reported in 2005 that 60% of Londoners “dread” going to work).

Coach yourself. Ask yourself what feelings affect you when you think of going to work. Address each emotion to help you discover root causes for your emotions. If a big one is the uncertainty of how you will be judged at work, a certain fogginess of actual goals, and a lack of engagement with the boss – then you may well be one of those people who aren’t getting appropriate feedback at work.