Workers without autonomy, respect don’t love their jobs

So, you dislike your job. Maybe even hate it.

What to do? Well, according to some employee relations gurus, often, the path to greater job satisfaction is not in pursuing deeper work engagement but in caring less.

Organizational blasphemy? Maybe, but the actual world of work doesn’t always kiss the fanny of corporate orthodoxy.

And while we shouldn’t lean on expert opinions with all our mental weight, the idea of caring less is intriguing. We know that excessive work is rarely a good thing, often leading to fatigue, depression and burnout.

One of its many ill effects is that, last year, Americans who cared too much about work left over 660 million vacation days unused. However, despite the trend to invest too much time and energy in one’s job, a Gallup survey shows only about 20% of employees demonstrate full engagement in their work, meaning caring less may be a prevalent coping mechanism.

There are exceptions. Some successful entrepreneurs, artists and scientists qualify as over-invested in their work, yet they appear to thrive.

Why? Because they exercise more autonomy over their schedules and work processes. Feeling more in control drives motivation and promotes a sense of well-being.

Perhaps you’re getting the gist. The reason over-invested employees often turn sour on work is usually because they lack autonomy. They feel treated like gophers and goose-stepping corporate minions.

In an environment where one is unable to make a mark or bring one’s talents to bear due to micromanagement, emotional and psychological withdrawal (caring less) is a coping mechanism, not a sign of apathy or laziness.

Are there apathetic and lazy people working in positive work environments that promote autonomy? Sure, but they are in the minority.

Promoting engagement is pretty simple, actually. Most effective things are.

First, the organization must embody certain core values moment-to-moment and from top to bottom. Primary among these is respect. No malicious gossip, discourtesy, backstabbing, passive aggression — none of that garbage.

Workers have a right to feel emotionally safe, and the employer and all its agents (officers, managers, etc.) have an obligation to provide it. Think your co-workers should have a thicker emotional skin? Join the Marines.

Second among these values is — you guessed it — autonomy. If leaders treat people like robots who have nothing of value to contribute to the mission, then those employees will often act the part. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Telling people what to do but not asking them for their ideas and opinions will take the emotional air out of just about anyone.

Finally, flexible scheduling, when practical, helps folks manage their overall life stress, affording a greater sense of control (autonomy again).

Bottom line? If employees feel their employer cares about them, they are more likely to care in return. If not, then caring less while still fulfilling basic job requirements may be the healthiest option.

Work matters, but personal well-being matters more.

Workers have a right to feel emotionally safe, and the employer and all its agents (officers, managers, etc.) have an obligation to provide it. Think your co-workers should have a thicker emotional skin? Join the Marines.