Why Your Engagement Efforts Aren’t Working

Let’s start with the obvious:
No leader wants a disengaged team.

That’s why we do the surveys.
That’s why we run team-building activities.
That’s why we invest in wellness programs, online quizzes, and culture slogans.

And yet, despite all that…
↳ People feel disconnected.
↳ Performance stalls.
↳ Engagement scores barely move.

You’ve probably heard this in your own team:

“We’re doing okay.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not bad.”

And right there is the problem.

Disengagement Doesn’t Always Look Like Rebellion

Sometimes it looks like quiet meetings.
Polite agreement.
Minimal input.
Work gets done—but nothing extra.

No push. No challenge. No spark.

That’s not a toxic culture.
It’s just… tired.
And that kind of disengagement is harder to spot—until it’s already cost you your best people.

We Mistake Activities for Engagement

I’ve seen organizations spend millions on engagement programs that feel more like school field trips than business solutions.

Monthly recognition boards.
Theme days.
Workshops with motivational speakers and hashtags.

All well-intended.
But mostly, they just scratch the surface.

Because you can’t boost engagement by entertaining people.
You engage people by helping them belong to something that matters.

You engage them with strategy, not stickers.

Engagement Without Strategy Is Just Decoration

Here’s the truth:

↳ People don’t want more perks. They want more purpose.
↳ They don’t want more coffee mugs. They want more clarity.
↳ They’re not asking for perfect leaders. They’re asking for meaningful work.

And when leaders say,

“How can we engage our people more?”

I ask,
“What game are you inviting them to play?”

Because no one wants to give their best to a team that’s just floating.
Or to a strategy that’s unclear.
Or to a culture that performs engagement without living it.

One Company’s Wake-Up Call

I once worked with a mid-sized company that had all the usual engagement rituals in place—wellness programs, employee of the month, company outings.

But something felt off.

Turnover was rising. Meetings were quiet. Innovation was down.

They were trying, no question. But it wasn’t working.

So instead of asking for more engagement ideas, we asked better questions:

• What are we asking people to care about?
• What strategy are we aligning them to?
• Are we giving them real ownership—or just participation?

The problem wasn’t culture—it was clarity.
Once we sharpened the strategy and linked every team’s work to real outcomes, something shifted.

People didn’t just feel better.
They started showing up differently.

Because now, the work meant something again.

Engagement Is a Strategy Problem

If your engagement efforts feel flat, don’t start with HR.
Start with leadership. Start with alignment.

Ask:

• Do our people understand where we’re going?
• Do they see how their work connects to it?
• Are we building a culture where feedback flows, boldness is rewarded, and strategy is shared?

If not, you’re not facing an engagement problem.
You’re facing a direction problem.

How I Help

As a strategy coach, I don’t do ping-pong tables or personality tests.
I help organizations create the kind of strategic clarity that people want to be part of.

We don’t just boost morale.
We build meaning.
We connect the dots between culture, contribution, and real company goals.

Because when people feel they’re building something important—
They don’t need to be pushed.

They’ll run with you.

If your engagement programs feel like decoration, maybe it’s time to stop decorating—and start designing something deeper.

Let’s do it—together