I'm Just Keeping My Head Down...

A few weeks ago, I was checking in with a former colleague who will remain nameless to protect his privacy. I asked how he was doing, and he said, "I'm just keeping my head down and doing my job and riding it out to retirement." Do you know the feeling? Sadly, I have many conversations where this sentiment is expressed.

According to the latest research from Gallup, there are three types of employees:

Actively engaged – People who are passionate and excited about what they do and where they do it. Sadly, only 31% feel this way.

Not Engaged – Like my friend, they are just keeping their heads down, doing what they "have" to do to stay employed. That's 52% of the workforce.

Actively Disengaged – People who are not only unhappy but are also potentially looking for work or are causing issues in your culture. That's 17% of the workforce.

We must do better. In a recent article in SmartBrief by Tammy Perkins, an HR Executive, she calls it the "Retention Mirage" and claims that staying isn't thriving:

"Retention may not be the victory that leaders believe it is. On paper, retention looks good. Turnover is down, resignation rates have slowed and companies appear to have weathered the worst of the talent exodus. But dig deeper, and you'll see a dangerous illusion. Employees may be staying, but many aren't thriving."

How can we as leaders and co-workers break the mirage? Perkins suggests four strategies:

Double down on belonging – Employees who feel a strong sense of belonging are five times more likely to be engaged.

Invest in growth opportunities – Professional development is no longer an option. The 2025 workplace learning report shows that 70% of employees would stay longer if they had growth opportunities.

Make impact visible – Employees thrive when they see how their contributions impact the larger mission.

Prioritize manager capability – The manager-employee relationship is the single strongest predictor of engagement, yet Gallup reports that only one in three managers feels equipped.

Shameless plug: For managers/leaders who feel they are not equipped, our next Leadership MasterClass begins online on September 25. You can find details here.

Thriving, not just staying, is the competitive advantage for any employee or employer. I don't want to "just do my job," do you? I want to love coming to work every day, be passionate about what I do and be passionate about the impact I can have. Thankfully, at RAB, I do.

This week, talk to your colleagues, or if you're the leader, have conversations with your team and see if you can't boost the number of engaged employees up from 31%. Some techniques in this tip can help.

There are few better feelings than loving what you do, and where you do it. Do you feel that way?

Happy Friday!

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@rab.com. You can all so connect with him on X and LinkedIn.