104: Feeling Disengaged at Work?

In this episode, Alex Dorr tackles a challenge that impacts nearly every workplace: disengagement. Prompted by sobering data that nearly 70% of employees feel disengaged at work, Alex unpacks why this happens—and more importantly, how to break the cycle. He reframes engagement as a personal choice, not just an organizational outcome, and challenges listeners to stop waiting for perfect conditions before leaning in.

Through practical frameworks and real-world examples, Alex explains how stress, change, and “unpreferred reality” tempt people to mentally check out. Instead of falling into complaint or avoidance, he introduces a more empowering path: finding the “space for impact”—the narrow but powerful place between current reality and what great could look like. The episode is packed with actionable tools to help individuals and teams re-engage, take ownership, and rediscover purpose in their work. Ultimately, this conversation is both a wake-up call and a roadmap: engagement isn’t about circumstances—it’s about how you choose to show up within them.

Episode Highlights with Timestamps:

00:00:00 — Why this episode matters: addressing widespread disengagement at work.

00:02:00 — The reality of disengagement: Gallup data and the cost of employees mentally checking out.

00:05:30 — Engagement is a choice—even in difficult or imperfect environments.

00:08:45 — Where disengagement begins: stress, change, and “unpreferred reality.”

00:10:30 — The trap of arguing with reality vs. taking responsibility for impact.

00:12:00 — Finding the “space for impact” between current reality and what great looks like.

00:14:30 — The “given that” framework: shifting from excuses to action.

00:18:30 — Editing your story: separating facts from assumptions to unlock clarity.

00:22:00 — Practical tools for teams: inside-the-box thinking and crowd-sourcing solutions.

00:25:00 — Shared accountability: what leaders and teams must both own to create engagement.