Could a coaching mindset help transform the ‘contract’ with employees?

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have all become familiar with phrases such as ‘the Great Resignation’, ‘quiet quitting’ and, more recently, Gen Z’s ‘conscious unbossing’. But beyond the buzzwords and headlines, organisations that ignore the wake-up call presented by these trends risk their future success, and even survival. 

In fact, some are already losing out. The 2023 Gallup “State of the Workplace” report shows that “not engaged” and “actively disengaged” employees (a shocking 79% of the total) account for $8.9 trillion in lost productivity worldwide. Organisations that continue to ignore the demand for a change in leadership style do so at their peril.

Fundamental shift

Some employers have scrambled to adjust to the changed expectations of Millennials (expected to make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025) and younger employees, in particular. Their response has largely focused on flexible working – around three-quarters of UK companies now allow hybrid working either formally or informally, even as others, such as Amazon, move in the opposite direction by returning to a mandatory five-day week in the office.

• The forced return to presenteeism?

Working arrangements and work-life balance are important concerns, of course. But a far greater consideration should be the fundamental shift in workplace dynamics, as seen in changing employee attitudes, beliefs and behaviours, which requires a more far-reaching fix.