Three-year survey of 90,000 finds only six percent achieve full personal potential, while 20 percent operate at severe deficit. The most engaged individuals score more than 30% above the average on rest, physical fitness, and attention to spiritual matters.
March 9, 2006
Since March 2003, the Human Performance Institute
has sponsored the Full Engagement Inventory online to help individuals
assess how well they are managing life energy for performance and
productivity. Over ninety thousand people have completed the core
questionnaire, resulting in an unprecedented look at the practices and
concerns of adults who seek their personal full potential.
The survey became available on March 11, 2003, the same day the
Institute’s CEO, Dr. Jim Loehr, appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to
discuss his newly released book, The Power of Full Engagement.
Only six percent of all survey respondents achieve what Loehr terms
“full engagement,” a balanced state of physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual energy. Furthermore, he classifies 20 percent as “toxically
disengaged,” and about 45 percent as “disengaged.”
“These people are running dangerously low on fuel,” he explains. “They
have a personal energy crisis that undermines their participation in
their workplaces and in society.” The survey results show that caring
for oneself physically and spiritually make an enormous difference in
all areas of life. “When people add physical fitness, rest and recovery
to their lives, they report much lower stress, greater job
satisfaction, and higher effectiveness,” says Loehr. “Yet the
overwhelming number of comments people leave on these surveys tell us
they feel blocked from the very practices that would support their
efforts at work, at home, and in the community.”
Toxically disengaged people are characterized by low scores on the
physical, emotional, and mental categories, but especially on the
spiritual dimension. “They’re telling us their lives lack vision and
purpose, their emotions are stunted, they never feel fully rested, and
they don’t feel they have the resources to improve their lot. In many
cases, they have simply given up,” says Loehr.
On the other end of the scale, people who report high levels of
engagement invest in physical fitness, get more sleep and recovery
time, and have high scores on the spiritual dimension. “These people
report self-confidence and vision,” Loehr concludes. “One of the areas
where they really exceed the average is in their ritual of taking some
reflective time each day.” The most engaged group scores 33 percent
higher than the average respondent on the following statement: ‘I set
aside time every day to link my activities to my personal or
professional mission.’” (There are an additional six statements where
the most engaged score over 30 percent higher than the norm. All are
statistically significant beyond the 99 percent confidence level.)
Loehr has made his life’s work around the factors that can help people
move from disengagement to their full potential. Much of his work has
been done with premier athletes from several facets of the sports
world. For more information on Dr. Loehr, see the background
information below.
Survey respondents came from two sources. About 85,000 were members of
the public who voluntarily took the survey on the Internet. About 50%
of these learned about the Full Engagement Inventory after they read
The Power of Full Engagement, while others learned of the Inventory
from seminars, friends, or by searching the Internet. About 6,000
respondents were participants in the training programs offered by the Human Performance Institute (formerly LGE Performance Systems) in Orlando, Florida.
The Human Performance Institute sponsors the Full Engagement Inventory.
Performance Programs, Inc., Old Saybrook, CT, hosts the Inventory and
provides data analysis. Performance Programs is a company of industrial
psychologists, and has specialized in employee surveys, 360 feedback, and job personality assessments since 1987.
Other findings from the Full Engagement Inventory:
The data presented here represent a small portion of an extensive study
on personal energy management and full engagement in the workplace. For
more information about the Inventory, Dr. Loehr and the training
programs offered by the Human Performance Institute, call Jacquelyn
Bick at (407) 438-9911, ext. 140.
For more information about Performance Programs, Inc., call Kathy Connolly at 1-800-565-4223.
About Dr. Jim Loehr: Jim Loehr, Ed.D. is a world-renowned performance psychologist and co-author of the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement. Dr. Loehr appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show where an entire program was devoted to his groundbreaking energy management technology and concepts. He has also appeared on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Nightline with Ted Koppel, and The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, and CBS Morning News. Dr. Loehr’s work has been chronicled in leading national publications including the Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Newsweek,
Time, US News and World Report, Success, Fast Company, and Omni.
This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.
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