Sometimes I wonder why organizations couldn’t be more positive. Yes, I know we have so many problems with unemployment and global threats on our standard of living. Yet, I wonder if managers really understand how they set the tone for their workers’ behavior. Many times managers treat workers like mechanical parts rather than human capital assets. They assume that giving employees new technology is enough to keep them happy. It isn’t.
Workers are experiencing more physical setbacks due to the lack of effective leadership in some organizations. As a matter of fact, uncertainty and workforce stress become a staple of the current workforce as employees devote more time to their jobs out of necessity. In many organizations, conflict is a big factor for burnout.
The reality is that most workers are emotionally drained. As a matter of fact, 68% of workers report feeling burned out at the office, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. Some of this job stress can be attributed to poor management and lack of clear vision.
Many short-term political appointees launch brand-new reforms with the turn of another political election; however, they are failing to pick up the pieces when they fail. US businesses cannot point to the lack of employee performance on a global front for mismanagement errors.
Japan, a long-time benchmark for American companies, is being defeated by American employees; today, the average USworker puts in 36 more hours than Japanese workers (1,825 vs. 1,789). Over the last two decades, balancing work and home life has been difficult, since Americans have added 200 hours to their annual work schedule.
Employees want to be valued. Felix Harris, a financial director with over 8 years in the banking industry, acknowledges the importance of people in a socio-technical system. He states, “When employees are appreciated, they work harder. A machine is only as good as its operator.”
Jeffery Pfeffer, author of The Human Equation, acknowledges that organizational success is directly related to implementation, and this capacity comes from the workers, how they are treated, their skills, and their effort as it relates to the organization. Therefore, organizations need to be aware of worker fatigue.
What can organizations do to deal with worker fatigue?
© 2011 by Daryl D. Green
Leave a Reply