How Do I Get There From Here?

Have you ever been on one of those road trips where you think you know where you're going but all of a sudden you find yourself lost?  I remember trips with my family as a child and my dad would find himself in this situation frequently.  Rather than stopping and asking for some direction, he would break out a wrinkled atlas and fumble through the best route for us to get to our destination.  While this worked, I think we took the scenic route many times.

Now, with the technology we have today we can just call up Siri and ask for help.  But, does she always give you the direction you want or more importantly, need?  I know from my experiences with her I find myself frustrated after speaking with her because I haven't gotten the direction I need or want.  It is time for us to take control and stop relying on others to guide us to where we want to go. And I am no longer talking about driving directions. 

Not being able to see where you are going or how to get there causes a great deal of disengagement with workers in the US every year.  A recent Gallup survey estimates that lost productivity from a disengaged workforce costs the U.S. approximately $370 billion annually.  Yes, I did say billion!  Further research from this study tells us that roughly 72% of our workforce is "sleep walking" through their day.  One of the main reasons for this level of disengagement is the lack of career direction and opportunity.  

Our employees desperately want guidance on where to go.  They want to understand what journey lies in front of them.  We need to have deliberate, ongoing conversations with our people about the paths that are available.  We need to understand what they want to do but more importantly, what they can do with great success.  Any one can jump in a car and head down the road.  But if they aren't in the right car for the terrain their trip will be significantly less enjoyable and in some instances, they will not be able to continue forward successfully.  Again, not much different than the experiences our people are faced with today.

Now, that all said, I am not suggesting the ownness falls entirely on us as HR professionals or leaders within the organization.  We have to hold our people accountable for clearly articulating where they want to go.  We need to make them responsible for understanding where their final desirable destination is and then help them figure how to get there.  And keep in mind; just like Siri, there are typically multiple routes a person can take to get to that final destination.

To learn more about the importance Succession Management, join Claire Schooley and me for an educational webcast. http://www.ultimatesoftware.com/ContactForm/70160000000Uqrk