This week, I wasn’t going to write. If you have been following the last few emails, you will know that this move has kicked my butt.
Between unpacked boxes, a half-assembled office, and allergies staging their own protest, my energy has been… allocated.
And then I read an email with Gallup’s engagement data.
Engagement in the U.S. is STILL sitting at 31% — well below its 2020 peak.
It got me moving and writing.
Most headlines frame this as a motivation problem.
Or a generational problem.
Or a workforce problem.
It isn’t.
It’s an energy problem.
Engagement is not a personality trait.
It’s a response.
When people feel:
• Clear about what matters
• Seen by their leaders
• Connected to purpose
• Safe enough to contribute
Energy rises.
When they feel:
• Uncertain
• Invisible
• Overextended
• Disconnected from meaning or bored
Energy contracts.
That contraction is what surveys measure.
For decades I’ve watched leaders try to solve engagement with perks, policies, and performance pressure.
But engagement doesn’t increase because of surface adjustments.
It increases when leaders understand something deeper:
Work is emotional architecture.
The tone you set.
The clarity you repeat.
The care you demonstrate.
The standards you model.
All of it shapes how much human energy is available inside your culture.
Remember what we call it? Energy gains or energy drains.
Energy is the fuel of performance.
The better people feel at work, the better they work.
That’s not fluff.
That’s biology.
As I sit here surrounded by boxes, I’m reminded of something simple:
Environment matters.
When the environment is unsettled, energy scatters.
When it’s grounded, energy gathers.
The same is true inside organizations.
If engagement feels stalled in your company, don’t start by asking, “What’s wrong with our people?”
Ask instead:
What is our environment teaching them to feel?
Engagement isn’t accidental. It’s built — one leadership moment at a time.
Warmly,
JoAnna
PS. Gallup’s 2025 data shows U.S. engagement at 31%, with declines linked to clarity, connection, and development — all leadership-driven factors.
If YOU want to change that pick up the phone – dial 561-866-0528 and let’s chat!
I’ve got solutions, and while I unpack, you start thinking about the 3 questions you really want to ask me! I know you have a few!
Is email more comfortable for you? Hit return!
PPS. – Yes, I moved after more than 25 years in one place!
