Half of all employees are just guessing
A sharp title, but it is accurate. About half of all employees do not know exactly what is expected of them.
For years Gallup has used twelve questions to measure how employees experience their work. The first question is: "I know what is expected of me at work." Only 49% of American employees strongly agree. So the other half do not know exactly. That directly affects engagement.
An ordinary working day at the office
An employee comes in in the morning. The calendar is full of meetings and the inbox has filled up again. There is a task they should really be working on. First coffee and a quick chat. Then email. At ten o'clock the first meeting, usually unprepared. After lunch there is time for the task, until the department meeting gets in the way, with new information and new priorities. Home at five. The next day the same pattern.
Nobody is doing anything wrong here. Everyone is busy. But is this the best we can do for enjoyment, quality and results? I think it can be a lot better.
Take a look at your own organisation
- Are tasks and responsibilities clearly on paper?
- Does everyone know what the priority is this week?
- How are meetings prepared, what are they about and how often are they held?
- Do employees get recognition, and is their talent being used?
What it delivers
When everyone knows what is expected of them and gets the knowledge and support they need, they work from their strengths. If it is also recorded how the work is best done, everyone knows not only what needs to happen, but also how. Quality becomes consistent and measurable. And anyone who sees a better way may improve that way of working.
There is a bonus. Gallup sees up to 78% less absenteeism and 21 to 51% less staff turnover in the best-scoring teams compared with the worst-scoring ones. That is a difference between teams, not a guarantee for your company. But the direction is clear. And the manager makes the biggest difference.
Source: Gallup, Q12 meta-analysis, 11th edition (2024).