“Something just isn’t right,” Diane said as she leaned back in her chair. The CEO of a mid-sized company, Diane prided herself on running a tight ship. Turnover was low, deadlines were being met, and customer satisfaction scores were solid. But something was bothering her.
“When I walk into the office,” she told Jack, a sharp–and just a little dashing, consultant she’d brought in to help uncover the issue, “I don’t feel energy. People are doing their work, but there’s no excitement, no spark.”
Jack nodded, jotting down a note. “Sounds like your team might be dealing with low workforce vitality,” he said with just a little dramatic flair.
The Signs of Trouble
“What’s workforce vitality?” Diane asked.
“It’s the overall health of your team,” Jack explained. “It’s not just about turnover—though that’s part of it. It’s also about engagement, productivity, and performance. Even if people are sticking around, they might not be thriving.”
Diane thought for a moment. “I did notice that brainstorming sessions have been quieter lately. And we haven’t heard a new suggestion in months.”
“Exactly,” Jack replied. “Low workforce vitality can show up in subtle ways. People might still be here, but they’ve mentally checked out.”
“Okay,” Diane said, leaning forward. “How do we figure out what’s really going on?”
Measuring Workforce Vitality
Jack pulled out a notepad (even though he’s a cool, hip consultant he still goes old school sometimes). “We’ll start by looking at four key areas: turnover, engagement, productivity, and performance. Let’s break it down.”
- Turnover
“Let’s start with your turnover data….your numbers are low, which is great,” Jack said, “but who’s leaving and why? Are your best people—the ones driving innovation and results—staying, or are they the ones heading for the door? Are your future leaders bolting?” He went on to ask “Are they leaving after 90 days, a year, 25 years?”
Diane made a note to dive deeper to understand the story behind the numbers.
- Engagement
Next, Jack asked about her team’s connection to their work. “Have you asked your employees how they feel about the jobs they are doing?”
Diane frowned. “Well…. we do an annual survey, but I guess it’s pretty generic.”
Jack suppressed a sigh, thinking ‘oh no, another generic engagement survey’. Keeping that thought to himself, he said “Let’s fix that,” let’s run some short pulse surveys and start having one-on-one conversations. Ask questions like, ‘What is really cool about your work?’ or ‘What’s frustrating you right now?’ You’ll be surprised at what you learn.”
- Productivity
Jack then asked about the team’s productivity. “Are they spending time on meaningful work, or are they bogged down with low-priority tasks?”
Diane thought about it. “We do hit our deadlines, but I’ve heard complaints about way too many unnecessary meetings and outdated processes.”
“Hmmm, let’s take a look at what is going on there,” Jack suggested. “We want your team to focus on high-impact work, stuff that moves the needle”
- Performance
Finally, Jack brought up performance. “How do you assess performance?”
Diane sighed. “We do annual performance reviews, but honestly, they feel like a formality and I’m not sure they are valuable to anyone.”
“That’s a common problem,” Jack said. “Try shifting to less formal, but more frequent measurement and feedback. Not only is it timely, but it also shows employees you’re invested in their growth. Look at results, quality of work, and performance trends”
The Breakthrough
Over the next few weeks, Diane and Jack gathered data and dug deeper into her team. They reviewed turnover numbers, ran pulse surveys, and started having real conversations with employees.
What they discovered was eye-opening:
- Some employees were disengaged because they didn’t see how their work connected to the company’s goals.
- Productivity was being hampered by unnecessary tasks, misguided focus, and outdated processes.
- High performers and high potentials were frustrated by a lack of recognition and growth opportunities.
“I had no idea,” Diane admitted during a follow-up meeting with Jack. “I thought everything was fine because the numbers looked good. But now I see how much we’ve been missing.”
Jack nodded. “This is the first step—understanding what’s really going on. Once you have the full picture, you can start making changes that will make all the difference.”
What will Jack and Diane do with all this new information? Stay tuned for next week’s edition!
PS. I recently launched a YouTube channel designed to help leaders like you create high-performing, engaged teams. It’s packed with insights on leadership, culture, business—the exact tools you need!