What is up with the energy levels of people lately? With the news of inflation, higher interest rates & food prices, not to mention the uncertainty of whether working remotely will be considered a perk that is easily revoked (which I might add detrimentally affects minorities and women more) the uncertainty is making people worried, fatigued and resistant to change. And this fatigue is affecting work performance.
According to Gallup, only 23% of employees are doing well and feeling satisfied.
Of the remaining employees, 18% are loud quitting and there are still a whopping 59% who are still quiet quitting. So if 77% of the workforce, give or take are quitting (loudly or quietly) without leaving their jobs, it is inevitable that this is going to affect work performance, or performance in any way.
Because if the mind is focused on one thing too long, other abilities such as attention, self-control, and long-term planning will suffer.
A research study: The Science of Scarcity: A behavioral economist’s fresh perspectives on poverty demonstrated an amazing correlation between the feeling of scarcity and our IQ.
And scarcity comes in many forms such as: such as “how do I manage my family matters if I need to go back to the office full time?”, or “why can’t I get the support I need for a raise so I can afford the higher cost of living?” or even “I don’t have the resources I need to do my job well because of budget cuts”
It’s been proven that when it feels as though we are in a moment of scarcity, when we believe that we don’t have enough resources (money, time, support, capabilities) our IQ drops by 13 to 14 points.
So, it’s not surprising that when you or your employees feel that they don’t have enough, their IQ drops, their ability to imagine and reinvent their products, services, and processes disintegrate and 77% of people are quitting without leaving their jobs.
Yet only 49% of employers think wellbeing programs are important when asked to rank the importance of the benefits they offer according to the 2023 SHRM Benefits Report. Which is odd because our wellbeing impacts our ability to process information, and supporting our minds reduces the feeling of scarcity maintaining our IQs.
And if employers are relying on their employees’ minds to get the job done, I would suggest that this should be one of the most important benefits offered, or at least in the top 5, but it’s number 8 out of 12. Most companies protect their technology assets more than their intellectual ones. And this is a mistake because it will cause people to make mistakes.
To quote the Talking Heads:
I can’t seem to face up to the facts
I’m tense and nervous and I can’t relax
I can’t sleep ’cause my bed’s on fire
Don’t touch me, I’m a real live wire
Now for the good news…
Comprehensive wellbeing programs don’t need to break the bank and are an excellent investment in the future success of the business. To reinvent your workplace culture to eliminate the feeling of scarcity focus on communication and tolerance. Providing support through thoughtful programs that compliment each other is a good start. So start by asking your self, what programs are working and which ones are not? Then reorganize your approach.
Until next time, get some rest, contemplate how to eliminate the feeling of scarcity and watch those IQs grow!
