Making work workable

The New York Times has a report on widespread worker discontent in America. According to a Gallup study, 70% of full-time workers either hate their jobs or have checked out completely.

The surprise is that it's bosses who make the difference:

Gallup has found that
managers who focus on their
employees’ strengths can
practically eliminate active
disengagement and double the
average of U.S. workers who are
engaged nationwide.

Motivation and engagement in any relationship can come from focusing on people's strengths and helping them to grow and develop, whether those people are formally in a subordinate role or not. It's also incredibly satisfying to engage with people that way. And if you are part of the 70%, you might want to consider engaging your manager by focusing on his or her strengths.

After all, your manager might also be in the 70% percent. Your manager might dread going to work each day to face a bunch of unhappy employees. A little authentic communication between human beings could work wonders. It's risky, but it just might be worth it.