“You can buy their C-game. You have to earn their A-game” 

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A salary buys compliance. The discretionary effort that actually wins in operations, the A-game, gets earned by frontline leaders one relationship at a time. Why perks and pay never close the gap, and what does.


The C-game is for sale and always has been. Show up, hit the minimum, clear the bar that keeps the paycheck coming. A salary buys compliance. Compliance is real, and it is not nothing. It is also the ceiling of what money alone will get you.

You can buy someone’s C-game. You have to earn their A-game.


The A-game is a different thing. It is the supervisor who spots the problem two steps before it becomes a stoppage and fixes it without being asked. The operator who flags the thing everyone else walked past. The discretionary effort people give when they decide, on their own, that this is worth more than the minimum.
You cannot buy that. You cannot mandate it in a policy. You cannot write it into a job description and expect it to appear.


It gets earned, one relationship at a time, by leaders.
People bring their A-game when they trust the person they report to. When the feedback is honest and useful instead of saved up for a review. When they can see how their work connects to something that matters. When good work gets noticed and weak work gets addressed, consistently, so the standard actually means something. When someone is visibly invested in them getting better.


None of that lives in the compensation plan. All of it lives in how the frontline leader shows up on a Tuesday.
This is why I push back when a company tells me their engagement problem is a perks problem. Add the snacks, the swag, the recognition platform with the points. People will take them and give you exactly the effort they were giving before. The A-game does not respond to bribes. It responds to leadership.
The best operations I have worked with win on earned effort. Their frontline leaders built enough trust that people give more than the role strictly requires. A competitor can match the wage. Matching that is much harder.

A Question to Ponder

Where in your organization are you paying for the A-game and getting the C-game instead?

How Employee Engagement Trends Are Shaping the Future of HR

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Employee engagement used to be about programs and perks — pizza lunches, team events, the occasional survey. But the past few years have shown us that real engagement goes deeper. It’s about meaning, connection, and the everyday experience of work. Heading into 2025, the trends we’re seeing aren’t just shaping HR strategies, they’re reshaping what it means to build organizations where people want to stay and do their best work. Here are some of the most pressing shifts that every leader should have on their radar.

Engagement is personal.
Employees no longer see engagement as a one-size-fits-all initiative. They want workplaces that reflect their values and give them a sense of belonging. People want to see purpose in what they do, and they expect leaders to back that up with action, not just words on a website. Companies that align culture with values — and live those values day-to-day — are the ones earning loyalty and trust.

Technology is a tool, not the answer.
There’s no shortage of HR tech promising to measure and improve engagement in real time. Pulse surveys, AI dashboards, learning platforms, they all have their place, but technology on its own doesn’t create connection. It’s how leaders use those tools — to listen, to respond quickly, and to personalize support — that makes the real difference.

Flexibility and well-being are the new fundamentals.
The conversation has shifted, flexibility and well-being aren’t extras anymore, they’re table stakes. Employees expect control over how, where, and when they work. And well-being — mental, physical, and even financial — is now a strategic priority. Organizations that ignore this reality are already losing talent to those that get it.

Feedback is constant.
The days of the annual performance review as the main feedback loop are over. Employees want regular, meaningful check-ins. Managers need to be less about task lists and more about coaching and development, and that is a big shift that requires real investment in leadership skills across all levels.

What does this means for HR?
Engagement isn’t a side project. It’s the foundation of performance and retention. That means building strategies that:

  • Put culture and values at the centre
  • Use technology as a support, not a substitute
  • Treat flexibility and well-being as core business priorities
  • Equip managers to coach, not just manage

The organizations that approach engagement with intention and care will attract talent, keep it, and get the best out of their people. Those that don’t will feel the cost in turnover, disengagement, and lost momentum.

The Intentional Workplace

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A core about organizational culture is that it doesn’t grow in the right direction on its own. Left unattended, it develops haphazardly, much like a garden left to weeds. that intentionally defi ne, nurture, and invest in their culture reap rewards in engagement, innovation, and lasting business performance. Those who neglect it—or leave it to “weed”—discover that what grows by chance rarely aligns with their goals.

The Power of Intentionality
Research and expert analogies frequently compare organizational culture to a garden. Just as healthy, abundant gardens require deliberate planting, watering, and weeding, a vibrant workplace culture calls for vision, dedicated resources, and consistent attention. Leaders must actively defi ne values, model behaviours, and create structures that reinforce desired norms. Left unchecked, toxic attitudes, confusion, or complacency will take root, much as weeds do in untended soil.

Organizations that commit to strong, intentional cultures see measurable results: up to 40% higher retention, 30% more innovation, and stronger performance even during downturns. Neglecting culture leads to disengagement, turnover, and lost competitive advantage.

Intentional leaders act as gardeners, routinely checking the “soil” of their organization, making purposeful adjustments, and modelling values in daily interactions. They recognize that the most critical growth is often invisible, it happens at the roots long before results bloom publicly. Regular feedback, development opportunities, and celebrations of progress all contribute to a healthy, flourishing environment.

Culture doesn’t grow by accident
Just like a garden, workplace culture does not thrive by accident. When leaders invest in building and grooming culture with clear intention, they shape organizations that are resilient, high-performing, and able to adapt through any season. The results, and the risks, are tangible: you truly get what you grow.

33% of Global Employees Are Thriving: What This Reveals About Work and Well-Being

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Across industries and continents, leaders are asking the same question: how many employees are truly thriving at work and in life? Gallup’s latest research gives us a clear answer — and a challenge. In 2025, just 33% of employees worldwide say they are “thriving.”

What does thriving mean?
Gallup’s Life Evaluation Index measures whether employees feel fulfilled, hopeful, and secure. Those who score 7 or higher today and 8 or more for the future are “thriving.” Those at 4 or below are “suffering,” and everyone else is “struggling.”

The 33% global median shows progress from the pandemic lows, but it also signals a plateau. When factoring in population, the average is even lower — just 28% — influenced by large regions like China and India.

Why this matters
Thriving isn’t about daily satisfaction. It reflects overall well-being across personal and professional life. Companies that invest in well-being outperform peers in engagement, productivity, and retention.

What the data shows

  • Thriving has risen across demographics over the last decade, but gaps remain across regions
  • North America leads with over 50% thriving; Europe, Asia, and Africa lag behind
  • Only 7% of employees globally are “suffering,” the lowest rate since 2007
  • Hybrid work, AI, and wellness initiatives have helped, but stress, uncertainty, and unclear roles continue to limit thriving

What can leaders do?
The message for HR and executive leaders is unmistakable: if only a third of employees globally are thriving, status quo strategies aren’t enough. Leaders must embed well-being into strategic priorities, culture, and daily routines. Organizations need to:

  • Track engagement and well-being in real time and act quickly.
  • Train managers to lead with empathy and human focus.
  • Promote balance through flexible work policies and wellness programs.
  • Foster connection and purpose, so employees see meaning in their roles and the bigger mission.

Thriving workforces are resilient and innovative, and well-prepared for long-term success. The organizations that prioritize well-being — inside and outside the office — will define the future of work.

The Fall of Employee Engagement: Why Organizations Must Reimagine Connection

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In the wake of the pandemic, the workplace went through a period of radical transformation. At first, many leaders assumed the disruptions were temporary, but as the years rolled on it became clear the impacts were both real and lasting — especially when it comes to employee engagement.

For much of the past decade, engagement steadily improved in North America and around the world. That trend broke in 2021. Instead of continuing to climb, engagement scores slid year after year. By the end of 2024, only 31% of U.S. employees said they felt engaged at work — the lowest level in a decade and a return to numbers not seen since 2014. Globally, engagement dropped to 21%, its sharpest fall since the early days of COVID.

What changed?
Amid all the shifts in technology, hybrid work, and evolving business models, one element eroded more than any other: clarity. Gallup’s research shows the steepest drop came in the statement, “I know what is expected of me at work.” In 2019, 55% of employees said they were confident about role clarity. By 2024, that number had plunged to 44%.

When the norms, rhythms, and shared spaces of work splintered, so did the mutual understanding that binds organizations together. Flexibility gave employees freedom, but it also left many uncertain about their priorities, their contributions, and their purpose.

Managers — often the front line of engagement — felt the strain as well. Only 27% of managers globally reported feeling engaged in 2024, down from 30% the year before. And when managers are unclear or unsupported, their teams feel it twice as hard — fueling burnout and frustration across organizations.

The economic impact
The cost of this slide is enormous. Gallup estimates that lackluster engagement drained $438 billion in productivity from the global economy in 2024 alone. And yet, there’s a paradox: some organizations managed to maintain performance despite declining engagement scores. That raises important questions about whether traditional engagement metrics still capture the full picture in today’s complex, digitized workplaces.

Rebuilding trust and clarity
Reversing these trends will require leaders to be intentional and consistent about how they define roles, reinforce culture, and cultivate purpose. That means:

  • Communicating expectations and priorities openly and often
  • Investing in manager training to strengthen leadership at all levels
  • Fostering genuine connection — through feedback, recognition, and authentic presence — even in distributed or hybrid settings

Employee engagement isn’t static, it reflects how people experience their work, their leaders, and the meaning behind their contributions. The organizations that prioritize trust and clarity — and design workplaces where people feel connected — won’t just recover, they’ll pull ahead of the pack.