When my friend tells me about her job, and all the talking everybody does, and how relational it is, and how there’s so much drama, I made a quick diagnosis without her permission.
It was simple to see.
They all hate their work.
Their tasks are so meaningless to them that they’d rather gossip and gorge themselves on drama . Or the thing that they really want to do seems out of reach, so they just waste time.
We could easily say that a life without vision leads to this– but, more germane to the topic, it might be better to conclude that a life without good questions leads to this and even less.
Often times, employers are sold strategies and tactics to boost employee engagement and joy. It’s probably an industry worth billions . Yet I don’t think these tactics work. A better tactic would be to collect evidence on what really ignites a person’s curiosity and passion and see if it fits. If not, no big deal. Brag about him to one of your friends in a different industry– see if the person can fit in elsewhere– because ultimately engagement is the responsibility of the individual, not the employer.