"I`m bored" is a phrase parents often hear, especially as summer vacation from school moves past the four week mark. Kids who couldn`t wait to get out of school, suddenly find themselves bored with the very thing that been looking forward to for months.

Yet boredom is felt by more than just children. Consider these statistics:

- 55 percent of all US employees were found to be `not engaged` in their work in a Gallup Survey reported in the Washington Post (10 August 2005).

- 24 percent of office employees surveyed by Office Angels claimed that boredom caused them to rethink their career and look for alternative jobs (reported in The Guardian, 20 January 2003).

- A third of Britons claim to be bored at work for most of the day (DDI survey Faking It, 2004).

- Nearly 45 percent of hiring experts in a 1998 survey said firms lost top workers because they were bored with their jobs (Steinauer, 1999).

A Definition

Dictionary.com defines boredom as: "the state of being bored: tedium; ennui." Perhaps as instructive are the synonyms (dullness, doldrums, weariness) and the antonyms (excitement, diversion, amusement).

Boredom is often described as feeling tired, weary or unengaged. Some components of boredom include:

* Fatigue
* Dissatisfaction
* Anxiety
* Irritability

Clearly if we or others are experiencing feelings of boredom at work (the research says that if you aren't bored someone you work with is), this will have a negative impact on retention, job satisfaction, work quality and overall productivity.

Solutions

Consider these solutions a partial list - there are many other specific solutions, especially if you consider boredom outside of work. But acting on even one of these steps can have a significant, perhaps permanent, impact on boredom and its associated problems. Additionally, consider the specific ideas mentioned that you can employ as a leader to help others apply that idea.

1. Look for Meaning. When you know how your work matters to other people (internal and external Clients, your team, perhaps even society at large) you are less likely to be disengaged or bored. As an individual, look for ways to understand how your work matters. As a leader, make sure people see a clear linkage between their work and the team, department and organizational goals. Help people put a face on their Clients. Give people work they see as making a difference. When people see how what they do impacts others positively, boredom will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

2. Be curious. Active minds are less likely to be bored. When we are actively curious our minds will keep moving! As a leader you can encourage curiosity and creativity by giving people some latitude in their job responsibilities and expectations. Give people time and resources to work on special projects of interest to them and that match with their natural skills.

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