After having been away from running for around 10 years and beginning to train again about month ago, Saturday I ran in a local 5K and had a blast! Perhaps I was inspired by the upcoming New York City Marathon, which I completed in a blinding 1997 rainstorm that still brought out about 1,000,000 spectators (or as I thought of them that day, my closest friends) across the Five Boroughs. An incomprehensible celebration of human accomplishment, tolerance, collegiality, and diversity, to this day the experience continues to produce psychic returns.
Less vivid are my memories of the 5AM training runs, or the missed family Sundays when I “went long” with my training partner. Nor do I much reflect on the occasional nausea, the aches, pains, blisters, cold, or the uphill runs when right before blessed relief at the top of some crucifying hill in Chesterland, Ohio, my heart felt like it was about to punch through the back of my ribcage. But there is a steel-like mental connection of that marathon peak experience with those long hours of excruciating training.
Today it feels to many of my colleagues and our clients that we see the top of that heart pounding hill and perhaps can even glimpse at what’s beyond. The more optimistic of us feel that marathon day is approaching. And we know that getting to this point in some semblance of health has meant we’ve developed new muscle. And yet, for all too many leaders, this singular focus has come at the expense of those they lead.
Understandably, leaders have focused their efforts on managing costs, ensuring profitability, doing more with less, and chasing revenue. But what has been the toll on human capital? Consider these harrowing statistics from our recently completed Pulse of the Workforce survey:
- 55% of those surveyed say they will move to another company if they have the opportunity
- 51% feel stagnant and only 29% of those folks feel like they’re interested in what they do. A typical comment is “same old thing, day after day.”
- 44% of stagnant workers plan on actively looking for another job when the economy improves. Typical comment: “I’m just killing time until the economy improves”.
Many of us feel that our organizations have been left with “the best” as a result of these times. But what actions is your company taking now to ensure that your world class runners are entered and ready for the race?
Barry Stern is vice president, Consulting Services and Delivery for Development Dimensions International (DDI). Follow him on Twitter.
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