Groundhog Day...A Great movie but a lousy place to work

u​Groundhog Day reminds me of the classic 1993 movie starring Bill Murray as the arrogant Pittsburgh weatherman who felt he was too important to cover the Groundhog Day Celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He showed his disdain by being rude to everyone around him, including the local townspeople. He couldn’t wait to file his story and get out of there.  Problem is, he is gets stuck in a time “loop” where he keeps waking up and repeating Groundhog Day over and over. Because no one else knows they are in the time loop, there are no consequences for his actions, so he becomes even more rude, has a drinking binge and endangers others by reckless driving.  But the “loop” eventually leads him to depression because no matter what he does, nothing matters. He eventually begins to find ingenious ways to commit suicide, such as stealing Punxsutawney Phil and driving off a cliff, or electrocuting himself by dropping a toaster in a bathtub.   
 
“Just another Groundhog Day” soon entered the American lexicon for meaningless endeavors that had no end in sight.
 
Are your employees stuck in Groundhog Day? They might be if their job seems to have no meaning or goes unnoticed by management. As a leader, you are the critical element in keeping them from living in a repetitive time warp where they come to work every day but their efforts have no purpose. Use team reviews to keep your team informed of their performance through meaningful metrics that define the quantity and quality of their work and connect them to the larger mission.  Continually reiterate their importance as individuals through one-on-one interaction.
 
Imagine how depressing it is to work in a job that has no recognition, no importance, and no consequences…just another Groundhog Day. One could say that Bill Murray was behaving as an Actively Disengaged employee.
 
Here is the Takeaway:  Employees living in Groundhog Day are miserable. As a Leader, it is up to you to ensure they know their work is important. Your team does not have to live in Groundhog Day.