Are your team members engaged in your natural retail store?

Prepare to be startled: 70 percent of U.S. workers feel “fully” disengaged from their jobs.

The recent Gallup Poll “State of the American Workplace” found this incredible level.

Download the full State of the American Workplace Gallup Poll PDF here.

Most of the time, disengagement means employees lack passion for their jobs. (Sometimes employees become “actively disengaged”—seeking to undermine their company or co-workers.)

For a natural products store owner (or team) leading with drive and passion, it is difficult to imagine a passionless co-worker. But it can—and does happen. Take off your boss hat for a minute, think of businesses you frequent and recall the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) that you encounter all too frequently. That same attitude can—and may—be present in your store.

Employees are responsible for their own motivation. You cannot motivate another person; internal forces drive motivation and productivity. So, while you may not cause disengagement, you should ask: Am I contributing to it?

Disengagement is connected to some management practices. These include an unequal application of rules, lack of constructive and useful feedback, no opportunities to grow and not having supportive relationships with supervisors. 

What do you do to keep your employees engaged in their jobs?

If you have this problem, evaluate your staff interactions and consider changes. Begin by acting proactively, rather than reactively. Deal with the issue during the hiring process. Note that disengaged employees are passionless about their jobs, not about what you sell in your store. They don’t have a passion about their role in day-to-day store operations. Hire slowly and carefully. Living a life full of natural and organic products does not automatically translate into having the skillset to be a strong asset to a retailer selling these products.

In this Gallup Poll news I did find some positive. This situation, if it involves 70 percent of employees, is widespread. Your competition has disengaged employees providing less-than-passionate customer service. Every step you take to combat this problem gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.