Of all the no-brainers in all the executive suites in all the world, winning the engagement of your employees must come near the top of the list. And yet, survey data seem to indicate that managers are failing spectacularly to achieve that aim.

According to research by organisations such as Towers Perrin and Sirota, the majority of employees worldwide simply do not care all that much about the job in hand. The most recent Towers Perrin study showed that just 21 per cent felt engaged in their work; 38 per cent are partially or fully disengaged.