Healing Dinosaurs: Why Simply Trying Harder Isn’t Going To Fix Reality

Dinosaurs are dead. They’re gone. And no matter how much we may want to fantasize about their return, there’s no place for them in today’s world. Think about this…

Okay, the above sentences might seem quite obvious. But, imagine a Stegosaurus crossing the street as you’re attempting to make it to work. It’s taking its time eating leaves off trees. Wait, you were in a rush? Or imagine a Velociraptor showing up at Starbucks while you wait in line. Great. This is going to delay your morning coffee, or it might eat you. Ugh.

Seems ridiculous to consider? Yes. So why do we keep trying to revive business practices and procedures that have become extinct?

What do I mean?

I like to pick fights. I’ve recently picked fights with Employee Engagement, Employee Recognition, and Corporate Culture. And it’s not that I disagree with any of these concepts. However, I’m picking fights with the evolution of these concepts in today’s world—the prescriptions for change that have become dinosaurs themselves.

Here are just a few examples:

1. Employee Engagement: The corporate world has been trying to improve engagement for nearly three decades. Yet, the most respected engagement survey by Gallup reveals so little change in engagement that it’s not worth mentioning. Yes, nearly 70 percent of employees are still disengaged. That’s almost the same statistic as when Gallup first conducted their global study in the 1990’s.
2. Employee Recognition: Conceptually, I don’t think anyone disagrees that employees want to be properly recognized for their efforts and achievements at work. However, there’s something missing in all the programs and platforms. What is it? Innovation based on sincerity. What does that mean? It means most recognition companies act as incentive platforms—and employees know it. Plus, most companies who buy recognition programs don’t spend enough time educating leaders on the true power of appreciation, but instead they focus on incentivizing. (“If you do this, then I might give you that.”) True appreciation only exists when you actually know the person you’re celebrating—beyond their accomplishment. Oh, and you actually care about the employee.
3. Culture: People create a culture not leadership. And typically leadership sees all of this backwards. Huh? Leaders, listen closely. I have been hired by countless organizations to write corporate values—beautiful, fluffy, inspiring word salads. They get engraved, designed, and sit on some breakroom wall. They become part of the new-hire orientation. Some leaders even ask for them to be written in books because they want their customers to see this BS. Why do I call corporate culture BS? Well, that’s easy. 1) Because I’ve been paid good money to tell organizations about “what they should care about” and more importantly 2) None of these companies (sorry former clients) actually asked their employees what they value. And, even worse, cared what their employees valued. Instead, they told them what to value. (“If you want to work here, this is what you need to care about.”)

I’m not saying these concepts aren’t valid and worthy of discussion. Great cultures exist. Engaged employees not only outperform their disengaged peers but also feel purpose at work. And sincere appreciation is one of the most powerful interactions between humans.

Can we heal the dinosaurs? No. Can we heal the ideas/ideals/practices above? Yes.

All of the above-mentioned business practices are common themes in the corporate world. Yet, there needs to be a NEW conversation at the forefront—well-being. Unwell employees won’t choose to engage. Unwell groups won’t create great cultures. And obviously, employees who feel unappreciated aren’t going to be well at work.

Here’s the rub…

Answer this question honestly. Do companies and leaders truly care about the well-being of their employees if they don’t see the direct impact on the bottom line?

Stew on that question. And while you stew, let me me ramble a bit. Quiet quitting has been a recent buzzword in the corporate world. So has presenteeism—showing up but zoning out. And, I could continue to rattle off other business speak that leaders seem to care about but seemingly overlook unless they see dollars leaving the building.

Okay, my ramble is over. Let’s talk about organizations that see a direct financial impact from low well-being—public education. Many people in the corporate world are unaware that state funding to schools is directly tied to student attendance. The less days kids show up for class, the less funding the school receives. Do we care about well-being now?

Okay, that last paragraph makes me sound a bit coldhearted—as if public schools only care about the dollars. I’m not implying that at all. Public school teachers and administrators choose their professions because they actually care about the kids. They care about their performance, safety, education, life readiness, and futures. Shouldn’t the corporate world care this much about employees? Well, if you’re not sold yet, I learned from an incredibly innovative leader in California, Scott Kuykendall, the Superintendent of Stanislaus County Office of Education, that they reduced employee turnover by over 40% from 2019-2022 when they implemented a well-being system for their staff—and that was during the Great Resignation! Convinced now? Kuykendall is currently rolling out the program to students and offering it to other local districts so more students can develop a purpose, plan, and path to well-being! Where was he when all MY kids were in school?

A New Era

A page in history has been turned. We all recently lived through a pandemic. And well-being is at an all-time low. Yet, we’re witnessing technological advances in almost every sector. AI is in its infancy. And at least some companies are adapting to all of this—our current reality.

While I typically end my Forbes posts with prescriptive advice—maybe bullet points about how you could avoid following the path of the dinosaur in your corporate initiatives, I’m going to instead just leave you with one piece of advice and just one single bullet point.

1. Adapt Today to Reality. One major company in the corporate world who offers products to the educational world may see reality (and possibly the future if we don’t adapt) more clearly than the rest of us. PowerSchool is the largest educational software provider in the world, offering a suite of products that seemingly encompass everything a school would need to function efficiently. And you might have guessed, one of those products is a staff and student well-being platform. PowerSchool sees what’s needed today by staff and students. But, it appears they, like California’s Stanislaus County Office of Education, also see the future and what that future might look like if we don’t address our reality now.

No, we can’t heal the dinosaurs. However, I think we can still learn from their extinction. Nevertheless, the most valuable lessons we should learn are from forward-thinking organizations like PowerSchool and Stanislaus County Office of Education. Trying harder with the same thinking isn’t the answer—adaptation is.