As managers, we have failed completely if we accept that 8 out of 10 employees work to rule!

Let’s get straight to the facts: Around eight out of ten of all employees only do the bare minimum in their job. Trust in employers is also continuing to fall. This is the result of a representative survey. Three quarters of employees in Germany now only do the bare minimum at work. More than three quarters (78%) of employees in Germany only do what is known as “work to rule” – in other words, only the bare minimum in their job. This is according to a report from the Gallup Engagement Index Germany 2024 ^{(1) (2)} emerges.

Are you also shocked when you realize these figures? Do you realize what this means for you, your team and the company?

As managers, we have to face up to these figures and question the way we have worked with our employees and management to date. Simply saying “keep it up” or “it’s none of my business” is out of place here. It’s about our raison d’être as managers and executives. What do we stand for together? Classically defined as:

1. We motivate our employees
2. We put together the best team
3. we develop each team member and the team as a unit
4. We support the corporate vision and strategy

That is our job as managers!

Can we as managers admit to ourselves that, according to this study

1. not using the potential of our employees to any extent?
2. we ourselves are responsible for the fluctuation in the company?
3. we as managers are clearly not doing our job to the full extent?

These are the facts! But this is precisely where we now have a joint opportunity for all of us. We now have the unique opportunity to close the gap between management and employees. We are facing up to our responsibility and tackling it together, because we have understood – that must be our new credo. What we miss so painfully in politics, we can now implement ourselves. What an opportunity!

My appeal to us managers and entrepreneurs!

• We can’t just carry on as if nothing had happened!
• We want to do justice to our task.
• We need to set up initiatives within the company and close the gap between management and employees.
• We have to talk about the things we don’t normally talk about.
• We need to stop talking about each other and start talking to each other.

Now is the right time for us to act and not simply wait and see. What are we waiting for?

Be the leader you never had and always wanted to be!

⁽¹⁾Baden-Württemberg: Low: Three quarters of employees in Germany only do the bare minimum at work | tagesschau.de

⁽²⁾Report on the Engagement Index Germany 2024 Germany – Gallup