High Performance Culture Can't Be Faked: A 4-part series on how leaders can rally from the recent Gallup results (Article 2 of 4)
When employees disengage, leaders often turn to perks—free lunches, wellness programs, and even fancy office spaces. But no surface-level benefit can fix a culture that lacks cohesion.
And cohesion is in crisis. According to Gallup, only 39% of employees feel strongly that someone at work cares about them—down from 47% in 2020. This decline is driving disengagement, poor retention, and weak performance.
Why Cohesion Matters
A thriving company isn’t just a collection of roles—it’s a network of people united by a shared purpose. When cohesion is high, employees feel connected to their team, leadership, and mission. When it’s low, isolation sets in, productivity drops, and turnover rises.
The Leadership Blind Spot
Many leaders assume their culture is strong because they see teamwork in meetings or collaboration on projects. But real cohesion isn’t about visible cooperation—it’s about employees feeling valued, heard, and supported every day.
Three Quick Wins to Improve Cohesion
Prioritize Meaningful Check-Ins – Go beyond performance metrics; ask how employees are truly feeling and how you can help support them in their work.
Recognize Contributions and People Publicly – Don’t just say “great job”, call out specific achievements tied to company values.
Encourage Peer Connections – Facilitate mentorships and cross-team collaboration.
The Bottom Line
Culture isn’t what you say—it’s what employees experience daily. If you want a high-performance workforce, start with genuine cohesion.
SKOR helps leaders diagnose and fix disengagement at its core. Watch our video on How to Earn Your Employees’ Presence and Productivity, to see how fostering real connections transforms team engagement and performance.
Stay tuned for next week’s post on Clarity.