Happiness over hustle: The three-part formula to win employee engagement

We are at a critical turning point in Australian workplaces right now.

Managers are citing burnout and overwhelm at higher levels than ever before, with the recent 2024 Global Managers Survey Report from Circle In claiming 75% of managers are experiencing stress or burnout.  

We’re also seeing cataclysmic shifts in the senior leadership ranks of organisations or political arenas with even the most seasoned leaders bowing out citing the need for more balance, and to focus more on what matters. People like Jacinda Ardern, Mark McGowan, and Stan Grant to name just a few. 

Many of us, particularly those of the generation X and older generation Y vintage are feeling ripped off, lied to, and as if we were sold a serious lemon in terms of our careers. I am one of them.  

We were told, “just keep working hard and it will all pay off”. And yet, here we are. Tired. Stressed. Busy. And feeling like our constant hustling over the last 15-plus years has not yielded the return on investment we thought it would. 

We’re also seeing a new generation of workers hitting the workforce, looking at their leaders, the role models of the organisation, and thinking “I’m not buying what they’re selling — I don’t want to end up like that”. 

If something doesn’t shift, we are on the cusp of a serious leadership gap that will negatively impact organisational outcomes. Here’s where it gets messy though. The real kicker — we are also in a cost of living crisis and a tighter labour market where people are feeling more anxious, and therefore also less likely to leave. 

On the one hand, some employers may be thinking “great, my people aren’t going to leave because they need this job”, but on the other hand, what is it costing your business to have employees physically present, but mentally, intellectually and emotionally absent?

What are the missed opportunities for your organisation by having employees who aren’t channelling their efforts or expertise to get results that could help drive your company forward?  

In a world where the hustle and grind culture has become so ingrained in the way we work, often mindlessly, and without asking the deeper questions of whether inputs actually translate to outcomes, I believe the organisations that will be the most successful into the future are the ones that can target happiness, over just hustle.

When organisations, big or small, fall victim to a culture of mindless hustle, they might look busy, but often their teams are caught up being busy in all the wrong ways. 

Here’s what it can look like: 

• Tick box meetings where people show up physically, but are no longer listening or engaged in the conversation that’s happening. 
• Constant urgency where everything was needed yesterday, and the idea of true urgency and prioritisation has lost meaning. 
• ‘Martyrdom’ as a badge to survive, where the language of the organisation (and the culture) becomes about how much sacrifice has been made for the organisation by an individual, as opposed to the outcomes achieved or impact. 
• Rushed work without clarity or thought, that then leads to re-work and often ends up taking longer or requiring more resources, but teams are too busy being busy to realise this wastage. 

Hustle culture has had such a negative impact on our workforce, that just this week in Australia we are seeing the introduction of the ‘right to disconnect’ laws taking effect, whereby employers are no longer able to unreasonably expect their employees to work outside of work time. Will this be effective? Time will tell, but one thing is for sure, the culture and active engagement of our teams will continue to play a critical role in ensuring organisations can effectively meet the demands of the future, and whether they will have employees giving their best, or just sitting on their payroll.

Just like bigger isn’t always better, busy isn’t always either

Engagement plummets when employees feel like their efforts don’t count, or they perceive that they aren’t heard, seen or valued by the organisation. They lose hope in the constant hustle.

So, how then can we engage people using happiness as a focus instead of hustle? 

In my opinion, it is when the 3E formula is in play: Effort (targeted) + (meaningful contribution of) Expertise + Enthusiasm = a happy and fulfilled career. 

When your team is able to channel their efforts and contribute their expertise (knowledge, skills and talents) in a way that is meaningful — no surprise then — enthusiasm often increases, and deeper motivation tends to follow.

Here’s some questions to reflect on and to ask your team to gauge where your focus needs to start in order to embed the 3E formula into your company:

Consider this first: 

• How do you talk to the purpose of the organisation consistently through your communications and conversations with your team? How do you engage them to see and understand what they are a part of?
• In what ways do you ensure that your team is heard, seen and valued, beyond just assuming that they know they are?
• What do you know about your team members and why they come to work? What else is important to them?

Now, ask your team these questions and allow for open and honest dialogue: 

• In what ways are they currently able to see results from their efforts? (Can they, or do they feel like they are banging their head against a wall?)
• How do they use their unique expertise (skills, strengths and talents) in their role, and in a way that’s meaningful for them? Do they know what it is that makes them unique, and the value they add? If not, start with a strengths conversation with each team member.  
• Can they see the bigger picture of what their hard work is all for? Is there a purpose behind it? 
• What motivates them as an individual? What is important to them outside of work?

As leaders and business owners we play a key role in helping our teams connect to themselves, each other and the organisational purpose. If we can do that more effectively, reframe the hustle in favour of a deeper focus on impact, we can not only increase engagement, but create an environment where people can do their best work.

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