Ignoring employee stagnation is like pouring profit down a drain. Stagnation is defined as 'to become stale, stop developing, growing, progressing, or advancing' and is unhealthy, both for the employee and employer. Like a pond, with too much weed and not enough oxygen, employee stagnation can lead to complacency, reduced productivity and profit, paying over the odds for employee remuneration, demotivated talent due to promotion prospects being blocked and low/no recruitment from outside, detrimentally affecting the organisation's competitive advantage.   

It is human nature for employees to resist change and to be staying in their jobs for security out of fears for the future, but what cost to your organisation's health to ignore this issue? The downturn shows no sign of disappearing fast, so isn't it time to address it? 

A common problem is that often no-one is responsible or accountable for employee motivation and productivity. Is it HR, line managers or the Board? Responsibility for talent varies between organisations, who is responsible for it in yours?  

Organisations can no longer afford to carry underperformers or those resistant to change - all talent needs to be liberated, for the benefit of the organisation - staying in or exiting out. 

1) Ask employees which of their skills are not being utilised. It is a common employee complaint.

2) Provide forums for your employees to discuss the changing world of work and how a 'win win' can be achieved for employer and employee. 

3) Be courageous and invite external 'mavericks' or 'agent provocateurs' to challenge thinking and policies with employees and the Board. 

4) Get a skilled external facilitator such as Kingsley Weber to provide a safe space to get the 'elephants in the room' before your organisation's profit is suffocated.    

5) Do a competition to elicit from employees re the impact of employee stagnation and ideas to address it.