Most leaders focus on fixing problems. They optimize workflows. They eliminate obstacles. They create better systems. And yet, employee turnover keeps rising. Employee engagement stays low. Teams remain burned out.

What’s missing?

Don’t get me wrong. Fixing problems is a good thing. We definitely need more problem solvers in the world. Strong leaders know how to identify issues and create solutions.

But here’s what I’ve learned after 20+ years of working with leaders at Fortune 500 companies: if all you do is fix problems, your team will burn out. You’ll work harder. They’ll work harder. And somehow, nothing really moves forward.

The real issue isn’t the problems. It’s the absence of meaning.

The Leadership Trap: Solving Problems Without Creating Purpose

When employees quit their jobs, most leaders immediately look for operational problems. Is the workload too high? Are the processes inefficient? Is communication breaking down?

These are valid questions. But they miss the point.

Research shows that employees don’t quit because the work is hard. They quit because it feels pointless. When work lacks meaning, even small challenges feel overwhelming. When work has purpose, people push through enormous obstacles.

I learned this lesson long before I became a keynote speaker.

What Keeps People In My Village Going

I grew up in a small village in Haiti with no electricity. No running water. No safety net.

Life was hard. Problems were everywhere. Poverty. Disease. Uncertainty about the next meal. You’d think people would give up, right?

But they didn’t.

What kept people going in my village wasn’t solving problems. There were too many problems to solve. It was meaning. Purpose. A reason to keep fighting when everything felt impossible.

People had a sense of community. They had roles that mattered. They knew their efforts, however small, contributed to something bigger than themselves.

When people know why they show up, they can survive almost anything.

That principle applies to every workplace, every team, and every organization.

Why Employees Lose Motivation: The Meaning Gap

Here’s the uncomfortable truth about employee burnout and low morale: you can solve every problem on your list and still lose your best people.

You can optimize processes, fix workflows, eliminate bottlenecks, and offer competitive pay. But if your team doesn’t understand why their work matters, they’ll still leave.

They’ll show up tired. They’ll do the minimum. They’ll quietly update their resumes during lunch breaks.

Not because you’re a bad leader. But because their work has no meaning.

The 3 Signs Your Team Lacks Meaning

1. They’re disengaged in meetings. They show up, but they’re not present. They’re going through the motions.

2. They don’t take initiative. They wait to be told what to do instead of solving problems on their own.

3. They complain about small things. When work feels meaningless, even minor frustrations become major issues.

If you’re seeing these signs, problem solving won’t fix it. You need to restore meaning.

How to Create Meaningful Work for Employees

So how do you fix the meaning? How do you help employees see purpose in their daily work?

It starts with answering one simple question: Why does this work matter?

Not to the company. Not to the shareholders. To the people doing the work and the people they serve.

1. Connect Daily Tasks to Bigger Outcomes

Most employees can tell you what they do. Few can tell you why it matters.

Your job as a leader is to close that gap.

If someone processes invoices, don’t just tell them to be accurate. Help them see how their accuracy keeps the business running, pays vendors on time, and supports jobs in other companies.

If someone answers customer service calls, don’t just measure call times. Help them see how they’re solving real problems for real people who are frustrated and need help.

When you connect the task to the impact, work becomes meaningful. This is the foundation of any strong employee engagement and retention strategy. When people understand how their work matters, everything changes.

2. Share Stories of Impact

Numbers are important. Stories are powerful.

Don’t just tell your team they hit their quarterly goals. Tell them about the customer whose life changed because of their work. Share the email from a client who said your product saved their business. Show them the faces behind the data.

People remember stories. Stories create meaning.

3. Give People Ownership

Meaning grows when people feel ownership over their work.

Stop micromanaging every detail. Give your team the freedom to make decisions, solve problems, and shape outcomes. When people have a say in how work gets done, they care more about the results.

This is one of the most effective strategies for boosting employee engagement. When people have real ownership, they stay. They invest. They bring their best.

Ownership creates investment. Investment creates meaning.

4. Celebrate Contributions, Not Just Results

Results matter. But so do the people who create them.

Recognize effort. Acknowledge growth. Celebrate the person who stayed late to help a teammate. Honor the employee who came up with an idea that didn’t work but showed initiative.

When people feel seen and valued, their work becomes meaningful.

Leadership Strategies for Employee Retention

If you want to reduce employee turnover and improve team morale, start with meaning.

Here’s your action plan:

Step 1: Ask your team why they think their work matters. Their answers will tell you everything. If they struggle to answer, you have a meaning problem.

Step 2: Clarify the mission. Help every person on your team understand how their role connects to the bigger picture.

Step 3: Communicate purpose regularly. Don’t assume people remember why their work matters. Remind them. Often.

Step 4: Create space for feedback. Let your team tell you what gives them energy and what drains them. Then adjust.

Step 5: Lead with your own why. Share why you do what you do. When leaders lead with purpose, teams follow with passion.

These steps form the core of any effective employee retention plan. They’re simple, but they work.

Fix the Meaning First, Then Fix the Problems

Problem solving is important. Systems matter. Processes matter. Efficiency matters.

But meaning is what makes people stay, grow, and thrive.

When people know their “why,” they’ll find the energy to push through anything. They’ll solve problems you didn’t even know existed. They’ll stay when things get tough. They’ll bring their best to work every single day.

So before you fix the work, fix the meaning.

Give your team a reason to care. Help them see the impact they’re making. Show them their work matters.

That’s how you build a team that doesn’t just survive but thrives.

Take Action: Start Building Meaning Today

What gives your team meaning? How do you connect their daily work to a bigger purpose?

If you’re not sure, start asking. The answers will transform how you lead.

When you focus on meaning first, you create the conditions for real employee engagement. You build a culture where people want to stay, not because they have to, but because they choose to.

And if you need help creating a culture where people feel valued, engaged, and motivated, let’s connect. Visit www.renegodefroy.com to learn how I help leaders build resilient, high-performing teams.

The Real Drivers of Employee Engagement

Here’s what I’ve learned from working with thousands of leaders: the drivers of employee engagement aren’t complicated.

People want to know their work matters. They want to feel valued. They want to see the impact of their efforts. They want to grow and contribute to something bigger than themselves.

That’s it.

You don’t need expensive programs or complex systems. You need to connect people to meaning. When you do that, everything else falls into place. Employee morale improves. Retention rates go up. Teams perform better.

Meaningful work is the ultimate driver of engagement. Everything else is just noise.

Common Questions About Employee Engagement and Retention

What really drives employee engagement?

The main drivers are meaning, recognition, growth opportunities, and clear communication about impact. But meaning comes first. Without it, the rest doesn’t matter much.

How do I improve engagement without a big budget?

Start with conversations. Ask your team what matters to them. Help them see how their work connects to something bigger. Recognition and clear communication cost nothing but time.

What should I track to measure engagement?

Pay attention to turnover rates, employee feedback, initiative levels, and how people show up in meetings. But don’t just track numbers. Have real conversations. The best engagement data comes from actually talking to your people.

How long does it take to see results?

If you start focusing on meaning today, you’ll see shifts within weeks. People notice when leaders care about more than just outputs. Small changes in how you communicate purpose can create big changes in how people show up.

What if my team is already burned out?

Start small. Acknowledge the burnout. Then help them reconnect to why their work matters. Sometimes people just need to be reminded that their effort makes a difference. That alone can reignite motivation.