Managers, do you often feel like you're beating your head against a wall to get your team to do what you want and expect?  Are you frustrated by what is happening in your workplace today?  Do your team members lack engagement (are not loyal and productive?)   If you feel this way, then you're not alone.   According to research found in the Watson Wyatt World Human Capital Index(r):

• Only 26% of workers are engaged in their work (loyal and productive).  The other
• 55% are not engaged at all (just putting in time), and
• 19% are actively disengaged (unhappy and spreading discontent).

In another study, 55% of top executives interviewed say that erosion of loyalty and commitment will have a major negative effective on corporate performance in the near future.  

You have good reason to feel frustrated and stressed..  Not only do your team members lack engagement, tardiness is increasing and sick-leave is common.  And turnover is frequent, as job security and high pay are not the motivators they once were.  

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 76 million baby boomers will be eligible for retirement by 2011, and over the next 50 years, the U.S. labor force is projected to grow at about one-third of its current rate.  Keeping good employees will be critical, and according to the Society for Human Resource Management, quality of leadership continues to be the number one factor positively or negatively impacting employee retention.

But you may be wondering, how can I find the time to engage my team with everything else I have to do.  I realize you are now expected to do more with less, but at the same time, you are being held accountable for creating a motivated staff.

I've been working on a new book that is designed to help busy managers like you create a highly motivated staff, and still have time to do everything else on your plate.  In fact, I'm going to title this book, "The Busy Manager's Guide to Creating Monster Productivity."  The book is being written in such a way as to help you focus on what you need to do NOW to engage your workers.  And this will all be accomplished with less frustration and stress on your part.  Isn't it about time to enjoy your job again.  In the next few blog posts, I will be giving you some of the tips I'm including in the book.  Stay tuned for more.