Let’s See Labs founder and author Gareth Gwyn explains how not having the right level of leadership can lead to people not being pleased with their jobs.
The past few years have been rough on the job industry, what with the fallout from COVID and loss of so many jobs. However, a new problem appears to have emerged across work-related industries – employees having to deal with high levels of stress.
Gallup released its latest State of the Global Workplace report, noting that work-related stress reached an all-time high over the past year. Around 31 percent of those polled in the U.S. and Canada noted they find their jobs meaningful and engaging. However, over half – 52 percent, to be precise – were “not engaged.”
But where does the stress stem from? Per the report, worker engagement and trust in employers play a much stronger factor than where employees work, such as remotely or in-office.
Part of them stems from poor leadership. For instance, a CEO cleaning up on millions of dollars in bonuses while some employees get cut loose due to lacking performance. Even supervisors might see a boost in pay, while general workers find themselves struggling with extra hours just to make ends meet and pay bills.
On top of that, the report notes that over half of employees across the globe are actively seeking a new job – a sign that something’s amiss when it comes to current roles offered right now.
Joining us now to discuss this matter is Gareth Gwyn, the author of You Are Us: How To Build Bridges In a Polarized World. In this book, she discusses real stories based on candid accounts of stereotypically vilified and victimized individuals, which, in turn, provide insight into uncovering our opportunities for inner change. In addition, Gareth also created Let’s See Labs an enterprise focused on the sociocultural transformation of individuals through a number of interactive means. These include film, writing and team workshops; and with these, people can unlock and uncover what lies at the common heart of leadership.
Q&A:
- What’s your big takeaway from the Gallup report? How much leadership is failing when it comes to motivating employees? Or the fact that there’s not much trust in employers?
- Where do you believe the lack of trust comes from? Supervisors not being honest with employees? CEO’s not providing a “full picture” when it comes to the state of the business? Are employees even being notified enough of crucial information?
- Are you surprised that so many are seeking jobs elsewhere? Is there anything these employers can do to try to “win them over”? (And not with a mere pizza party, we’re sure.)
- Do you believe 2023 will see an increase in employee interest? Or will the numbers actually be worse than what we’ve seen from this report?
- In your latest book, You Are Us: How To Build Bridges In a Polarized World, you focus on a number of individuals that have seen their fair share of hard times, but have learned so much since that time. Tell us how this can relate to what certain employees are going through at the moment, and how it can potentially help them.
- You also developed Let’s See Labs, a series of online courses that can help people make the most out of leadership, and teach certain fundamentals to get attendees better prepared for the business world. How did you go about putting these together, and who do you think will benefit the most from said courses?
- Where can we learn more about your book and the Lets See Labs workshops?
The book is available for purchase here on Amazon; and you can find more information on everything we do with Let’s See Labs over on BuildBridges.US.
About Gareth Gwyn…
Gareth Gwyn is committed to establishing a new global vision of leadership founded on self-inquiry and restorative practices. She is the author of You Are Us: How to Build Bridges in a Polarized World, a book woven with real stories that explore how we can each help bridge our cultural divides regardless of who we are and where we came from. She is also the founder of Let’s See Labs, an organization that produces films, writing, and team workshops that facilitate sociocultural transformation at the individual level by embracing creative polarity. Gareth earned her MA in Digital Communication at the School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
CONTACT: To schedule an interview, contact Jerry McGlothlin of Special Guests PR Agency at 919-437-0001 or geraldmcg@outlook.com.
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