Why your high-performing employees may be slowly disengaging from work

 Be on the lookout for this kind of behavior.

We are in the midst of a massive socioeconomic upheaval dubbed "The Great Resignation" by the media. Half of the workforce in the United States is looking for work. (I like to name the phenomenon "Great Aspiration" instead of "Great Aspiration.") Despite the pandemic's considerable workplace challenges, most individuals aren't giving up. Workers want better employment, better pay, a stronger sense of purpose, and more freedom. Individuals desire the chance to develop. They've gained the confidence to make their own changes.

I utilize the so-called S curve to model human growth and enable people see their progress and proactively influence their own growth. In summary, the framework is as follows: The launch point is at the bottom of the curve. As expertise is progressively acquired, growth is slow. It can be excruciatingly painful and depressing, and it necessitates professional help.

We dip into the sweet zone up the steep back of the "S" as our competence grows. Growth is accelerating, and engagement and productivity are at an all-time high. Again, well-informed management measures can help to prolong this beneficial period. The ultimate step of mastery at the high end of the "S" is the subject of this article. It's a plateau that's about to turn into a cliff; we've used up all of the growth opportunities accessible on a curve, and we're becoming bored. This is the point at which an employee who is exceptionally good at their job begins to believe they can't do it any longer. To climb, they'll require a new S curve.

Why is this the case?

Neuroscientific mechanisms drive our enjoyment and involvement in any activity. Our brains are learning machines with a development mode by default. Our brains change as we learn new things. Neural plasticity is the term for this. Synapses are cell-to-cell connections formed by brain cells, or neurons. New synapses emerge between cells that were previously unconnected as we learn. Our synapses develop at a rate that corresponds to the level of difficulty in our brains. The neural network grows faster when you put in more mental effort.

Our brains are also constantly running predictive models. When we are unfamiliar with something, our forecasts can be inaccurate. Dopamine levels in the brain decline when we make a mistake. It's an awful feeling. Dopamine levels are stable when we get what we want. When our expectations are exceeded Dopamine is released in significant doses when certain thresholds are exceeded. Dopamine is a pleasurable substance that makes us happy. We are naturally drawn to seek the dopamine high that comes from exceeding our goals.

Consider this analogy: the summit is the aim in genuine mountaineering. It's at the very top of the S curve. However, stopping for an extended period of time at a high altitude can be fatal. The death zone begins at an elevation of 26,000 feet. Anoxia is a state in which we use oxygen quicker than it can be supplied. Bodies and brains begin to perish as a result of oxygen deprivation in a short period of time. Physical weariness and cognitive impairment can lead to major accidents and death, even if supplemental oxygen is available.

Learning is the oxygen of human growth, or rather, the brain activity and chemicals linked with learning. Our behaviors are automatic, our competence is high, but our brain rewards are low at the high end of the S curve, where we are in mastery. We aren't getting enough dopamine to feel the same level of involvement and delight that we used to. Our enthusiasm is waning. Stagnation, reduced productivity, and disengagement ensue as a result of this. It's difficult to drive ourselves to accomplish things we already know how to do well.

Michael M. Nikoletseas explains in his book Behavioral and Neural Plasticity that habituation is an organism's degraded reaction to environmental stimuli that it encounters repeatedly over time.Habituation leads to a behavioral plateau, in which the organism responds only sporadically, if at all, to predictable events. "If we repeatedly present a stimulus, the organism will either stop reacting or respond at a low level." We eventually see no further change, no matter how many times we present the stimulus. The curve reaches a halt." Humans, according to Nikoletseas, have degraded responses to events that have grown too familiar. We only produce a reflexive response—no new learning—which is referred to as neuronal rigidity.

This is why the most valuable employees are frequently the most likely to go. As a result, the quality of their work may suffer. They are in desperate need of a new employment. Hopefully, well-informed leaders have taken action. have early, open, and regular dialogues with their subordinates that will aid both the manager and the employee in mapping out this process. The learning model's S curve provides a common language to help with this crucial communication. If a new in-house position is not available, leaders can keep their finger on the pulse of an employee's view of their advancement, which is the most critical signal of when retention will become a difficulty. Proactive planning helps ensure that key human resources understand that their development is a top priority for the company.

The CEO Life Cycle, an interesting 2019 study, depicts this process at the top level of corporations. It describes the growth, stagnation, and possible regrowth of an organism over time. The study examines the financial performance of over 700 S&P CEOs over the course of a year, revealing various phases of job performance, beginning with the "honeymoon" and ending with the "golden years."

Those who make it to year 11, when the golden years usually begin, must first make it through the success death zone. Around year six, a CEO's S curve reaches its pinnacle. According to the research, it is "frequently followed by a period of lengthy stagnation and mediocre results.  Many CEOs resign or are fired as a result of the stagnation. CEOs can only reach their golden years if they consciously and consistently reinvent themselves on fresh learning curves: "CEOs who survive the complacency trap often have some of their best value-creating years."

Employees who were once valuable but are now in decline can be valuable again. It's possible that all they need is a new version of the curve to rise.