The State of Engagement™: Observers
A critical group in any organisation. Much like a queen on a chessboard, Observers can move anywhere depending on how the organisational environment affects them.
I’m just going to see how this pans out. If it goes how I think, I’d be happy to stay. If not, I’m sure I could get a job somewhere else.
It may or may not come as a surprise to learn that your organisation is probably stuffed full of Observers. We’ve seen Observer counts ranging from anywhere between 33% and 56% of all employees.
Its’s not necessarily a bad thing. For much like a queen on a chessboard, the Observer can move anywhere depending on how their relationship with the organisation unfolds. What it does mean is that you have a high proportion of people that are uncertain or unsure about what to think or feel, which probably hints at change and its resulting effects not being communicated clearly enough.
Observers understand broadly what is happening and are connected enough to want to see what happens before making any decisions. But with such a high proportion of them, what an opportunity to convert them to Champions.
