What is the biggest obstacle to having more energy and being fully engaged at work? According to comments from the Full Engagement 360 Profile, nearly 30% of 5500 respondents believe the answer to that question lies outside their control (see "Read More" section for details). For instance, 170 people name their office facilities as the biggest obstacle to increased energy and engagement. Over 100 name their bosses as the greatest obstacles, and another 100 cite meetings as their biggest obstacle.
“This is a fascinating insight into the nature of personal storytelling,” says Dr. Jim Loehr, a performance psychologist and CEO of the Human Performance Institute. The Institute offers training that puts executives on a path towards sustained energy and full engagement. The Full Engagement 360 Profile is a part of their training. “As long as external objects such as the office and the boss have a key role in someone’s personal story, they will be blocked from more useful self-messages,” he says. “Until employees shift the locus of control in their stories from external to internal, little progress can be made to deepen levels of engagement at work.”
The table below details some of the external “obstacles” cited by respondents:
Table 1
External Obstacles Cited by
28% of Respondents to the
Full Engagement 360 Profile
Office/facility 170
More help/assistance 140
Boss/Supervisor 109
Meetings 106
Empowerment/Control 107
Projects 105
More challenging work 89
Decisions by management 88
Not enough time 88
Business (nature of) 84
Better training/skills 65
Company 56
Email 55
Colleagues 54
Better teamwork 50
More responsibility 48
Vision 48
Environment 43
Career 41
Position 39
Interruptions 36
Clients/Customers 35
Direction 33
Phones (calls, cell, voicemail) 30
More supportive work environment 29
Office politics 23
School 23
Employees 19
House 19
Deadlines 17
Current job/new job 16
Lack of feedback 11
Single parent 9
Divorce 8
Accountability 6
Market 6
Relocation 5
For more information on Full Engagement Training or the Full Engagement 360 Profile, contact Jackie Bick at the Human Performance Institute, 407-438-9911.
