Recently, I reencountered a former colleague who worked with me. We had not seen each other for a couple of years after she moved to a new organization.
She is a bright young talent with social skills, pragmatic, and capable of learning and adapting to the circumstances. We worked together on several projects, experimenting with ideas. Our budget was short, but her creativity and versatility turned few resources into unconventional and surprising solutions. The only oxygen she needed was freedom and moral support to fly.
She moved jobs after prospecting a career opportunity in an organization capable of offering her the resources and tools that mine was not. It was an excellent chance for her to shine. Her skills and personality were not a bottleneck for a bright future. But… She disengaged. She was no longer leading any novel or meaningful projects; her creativity only used to avoid conflicts in the new job. All her assignments were defined in fine detail two levels above her. The direct manager, in charge of her work, was merely double-checking the detailed output required a level above. A tragic story of double micro-management.
Lack of professional engagement reached alarmingly endemic levels, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past few years, data from Western countries have reported professional disengagement ranging from 30 to 80%. These numbers sound like an exaggeration, however, if one pays good attention, there are signs of social disengagement permeating our daily lives. It became so banal that we do not notice it.
Let me give you examples of attitudes that are signs of disengagement. Psychologists are reviving the Stoic concept of circle influence and control. To help patients control their stress, they recommend acting on their circle of control but relativizing focus on the gray zone of the circle of influence. The problem with extrapolating this concept to managerial or social contexts is that it may lead to complacency. The interpretation that some professionals or citizens may give to that concept might be: “Focus your energy on what you can control, but let go of what you cannot influence.” This is endemic in organizations that struggle with conflict management or micro-management. Just pay attention to society as a whole. Political polarization, social media echo chambers, and digital tribalism make us feel the “gray zone” of influence is shrinking. Exposure becomes a risk.
The above case of my former colleague demonstrates that the old-fashioned managerial styles are still common. Micro-management is a visible problem, easy to tackle. Good leaders just get rid of them. Are good leaders easy to find? No. But they are easy to spot. Good leaders do not ask: “How can we engage and motivate our people?” Instead, they ask: “What are we doing that demotivates our people?”
The Unconscious Skill 