The $8.8 Trillion Disengagement Problem - and 2 Things to Do About It

When my book on employee engagement, Build It: The Rebel Playbook for Employee Engagement, was released in 2018, Gallup reported that global engagement was sitting at a not-so-stellar 18%.

Fast forward to Gallup’s most recent 2024 report, and it’s up slightly to 21%. Progress? Sort of. But here’s the twist: that number is actually down from the year before, the first decline in a decade. The slow climb has stalled. And the big question is: what’s going wrong?

Gallup isn’t shy about pointing fingers. This time, they’re aiming squarely at managers, whose own engagement has dropped from 30% to 27% globally. They say that dip is dragging teams down with it. Seems a little harsh, doesn’t it?

But let’s be honest: it’s no surprise. Being a manager today is tough. Expectations are sky-high. Change is relentless. And employees are more vocal about what they want, and don’t want, from their work experience.

Many managers are feeling overwhelmed, undertrained, and under-supported. Something had to give. And it has. The cost? A staggering $8.8 trillion a year. That’s 9% of global GDP, lost to disengagement.

So what can you do? You can’t fix the global economy, but there are two steps to help yourself and engagement in general move in the right direction.

Step One: Put on your engagement oxygen mask first

Last year, I learned (the hard way) what happens when you forget to put your own oxygen mask on first. Spoiler: it ended with me being in a hospital bed for a week. Not exactly part of my leadership development plan. If you’re running on empty, you can’t show up as the leader your team needs. So be honest with yourself and:

• Set some boundaries. Yes, you’re allowed to block time for deep work, or a proper, uninterrupted lunch.

• Get curious. What’s fuelling you? What’s draining you? Awareness is absolutely critical to your engagement and wellbeing.

• Redefine success. What does growth really look like for you now and in the future? Redefine it on your own terms.

• Say no more often. Protect your “yes” for the stuff that really matters.

The best leaders know the secret: it starts with you. If you’re not engaged, energised, or clear on what matters-how can you expect your team to be? When you get it right with yourself first, you give your people a much better shot at thriving, too.

Step Two: Do engagement the ‘smart’ way

Now that you’re recharged (or at least refilling your cup), it’s time to engage your team - but let’s be smart about it. Think of it like using a smart device. You don’t manually turn every light on in your house anymore, you tap a button or let automation handle it. Less energy, more efficiency.

The same goes for leading your people. You don’t need to do it all or throw everything at the wall to see what sticks. You just need to know what your people need, and deliver the right support at the right time.

That might mean:

• Really listening to someone who’s struggling.

• Offering a little praise when it’s overdue.

• Or stepping into coach mode when someone’s stuck.

It’s not about constant hustle. It’s about leading with intention, so you’re working smarter, not harder.And the best part? When you get this right, engagement becomes a lot less of a grind, and a lot more of a natural flow.

Ask yourself:

• Do I really know what’s motivating (or de-motivating) each person on my team?

• What’s one simple thing I could do this week to boost engagement?

• Which of the Great Boss Building Blocks™ could I use right now to unlock more energy, connection, or clarity?

The bottom line?

No, you can’t fix global engagement single-handedly. But you can shape it-block by block, person by person, starting with yourself. So this week, reflect on:

• What do I really know about my team’s engagement-beyond the last engagement survey?

• What am I doing to protect and improve my own engagement?

• Which building blocks will help me lead just a little bit better this week?

Let’s start fixing the problem together!