How Engagement Drops During Workplace Transitions

A worker sends messages that, upon receiving them, result in very detailed feedback, but starts noticing that the response has become either very brief or delayed or not forthcoming at all. Such a shift takes place gradually and cannot be traced to any particular time. Gradually, though, a trend emerges.

Low involvement of management tends to precede role changes, signifying a fundamental change in the organization itself. Studies published by PubMed Central have found that reorganization and changes in roles can lead to shifts in how managers communicate with their employees.

As focus changes, so does attention, sometimes resulting in employees getting less attention from their supervisors. Such shifts are not always explicitly stated, complicating interpretation.

Engagement starts declining during transitions

Transitions within organizations also impose greater demands on managers, which can impact the process of communicating within the organization. Evidence suggests that higher levels of stress and workload can result in lower consistency in managerial involvement.

According to the research conducted by BMC Psychology, the lack of clarity in organizational transitions can cause decreased communication, which may not occur consciously but as a consequence of shifting priorities. In such cases, managers can neglect communicating with subordinates who will likely undergo significant changes in their roles.

There is a discrepancy between managers’ intentions and employees’ perceptions in such cases. Even if the organization is undergoing an internal transition, the employee feels the effects externally through lowered levels of communication.

What are the psychological effects of reduced feedback?

The lack of feedback does have an impact on the performance of workers. According to research findings, managers' low engagement levels contribute to uncertainties, and hence anxiety, and affect motivation levels and participation among employees.

The workers start retreating as they become more confused about how they perform their duties and how they are evaluated for their contribution to the company. It becomes a repetitive process, and eventually, the workers end up being unengaged due to the uncertainty created by the lack of feedback.

Perception is very important when interpreting the lack of feedback among the employees, since it depends on their perception of how engaged the management is.