How Many People (Actually) Work in Your Organisation?

An executive in a large organisation was asked; ‘How many people work here?’ His answer; ‘Only half’.

He was deadly serious.

Gallup’s 2024 “State of the Global Workplace” tells us that only 23% of employees feel involved and enthusiastic about their roles. 62% are not engaged and are merely going through the motions. They even have a term for it, the ‘great detachment.’

Think of the cost. The wasted capacity for contribution. The tragic waste of organisational resources and peoples lives.

Why does this happen?

We fail to think of our organisations as ecosystems.

We allow the Tops, Middles, and Fronts to work in isolation or conflict. This creates tension and frustration rather than alignment. Over time each naturally pursues their own interests rather than a shared purpose.

Who are the Tops, Middles and Fronts?

1. The Tops

This is the senior leadership team. They are responsible for setting the direction and strategy of the organisation. They must be cohesive, clear about the strategic priorities and how the organisation needs to work together. Often they’re responsible to a board and on their radar are the combined pressures of legislation, governance, technology shifts and competitor activity.

The Tops, we like to say, live in the world of complexity and accountability.

2. The Fronts

At the other end are the Fronts. They are largely the customer-facing employees, delivering the core products or services. Their world is vastly different to the Tops. They worry about bread-and-butter issues and in most organisations ‘stuff comes down to them’. They are told where to be, what to do, how to behave and in extreme cases even what to think.

We like to say that they live in the world of uncertainty and vulnerability.

3. The Middles

The Middles are the unsung heroes.

They live in the world of tension and mediation. They take direction from the tops, make sense of it, build it out into their teams and rally the fronts. The Middles are the integrators. They play a key role in connecting disparate parts of the organisation. They absorb immense pressure from both directions and act as a bridge between these two worlds. The Middles regularly find themselves torn apart as they navigate the politics of the organisation.

Despite their importance they are often sadly under led by the Tops.

In a healthy organisation these 3 communities work well together.

People from different layers are able to work on and solve problems collaboratively. They don’t hide behind their own walls. Barriers are consciously dismantled. In doing so the stress, broken relationships, diminished contributions, finger pointing, cluelessness, blame and disengagement that bedevil so many organisations is minimised.

So, as we head into the new year where should your focus be?

1. Purpose
Clarity on your purpose, highest priorities and behaviours is a powerful unifying force. Once these are translated into every corner of your business everyone is in the same boat, rowing in the same direction.
2. Information
Information must flow freely in all directions. That which is hidden, hoarded or used for personal power is politics and must be quickly disabled. Your leaders need to speak, and act clearly to avoid creating “noise” that obscures key messages and creates confusion.
3. Connection
The system cannot function without connections. It fosters collaboration, inspiration, and a sense of belonging. Building the connective tissue across the Tops, Middles, and Fronts of your organisation is vital. Listening is the key to being seen and valued.
4. Trust
Without trust people pull back and measure their contribution. With trust people start exchanging and sharing experiences with one another. They no longer have to hide. Now they can start using their unique strengths, abilities and temperaments to build products and solve problems in ways that were never possible before.