Increase Productivity by Not Hating Your Job

Human resource and management advisory firms like Gallup Consulting and Towers Perrin have conducted worldwide research on the topic.

Gallup's latest employee-engagement survey revealed that only 29% of U.S. workers describe themselves as being engaged in their positions and Tower Perrin's numbers are even worse, Gale says -- the consulting firm estimates that only about one in seven employees are truly engaged.

According to Gallup's survey, 56% of workers are not engaged, meaning that they sleepwalk through their workdays, not putting any energy or passion into their work. Another 15% of employees, the poll reads, are actively disengaged, which means not only are they unhappy at work, but that they are busy acting out their unhappiness and in turn, are undermining what their engaged employees accomplish.

"This is not only a national crisis, it's a global crisis," Gale says. "When you look at studies on performance and effectiveness, there are so many indicators that engagement is driving the ability of companies to sustainably succeed."

Finding the Balance

For Gale, the idea behind her venture started out very humbly, she says. "I just wanted people to feel better at work every day."

One of the first steps she had to tackle was how to bring balance into the workplace. In serving corporate America, Gale says she knew no one was going to just start working less.

"My understanding of balance is how to stay centered in the midst of everyday chaos," Gale explains, noting that most people's workdays will remain overbooked.