How Are Your Roots?

How are your roots?
And we're not talking hair roots 🥲

Last week was about visiting a company having "engagement issues.”
The employees were filling out surveys with low scores, and people seemed disconnected.

But as the work started, one thing became clear: this wasn’t about engagement at all. It was about moral injury.
People were not disengaged because they didn’t care.
They cared too much.

They were deeply committed, but they were being asked to compromise their values.
👉 To deliver projects they knew would harm the environment.
👉 To stay silent when colleagues were mistreated.
👉 To applaud “well-being initiatives” while being pushed past their limits and personal boundaries.
On the surface, it looked like apathy. In reality, it was heartbreak.

That’s the difference:
Engagement issues ➡️ people don’t feel motivated.
Moral injury ➡️ people feel betrayed. And that is painful.
No amount of engagement surveys or wellness programs can fix betrayal.

🌱 The real work is alignment, between values and actions, stories and realities, people and purpose so we truly heal the roots.