Pa Sinyan is Managing Partner with Gallup and leads Gallup’s teams across EMEA. In his role, he supports leading companies to drive organizational and cultural change. He has 15 years experience working with leadership teams on organizational and C-Suite challenges. Pa leverages Gallup’s cutting-edge data insights in the science of leadership, behavioural economics, and decision-making to support leaders. As a trusted advisor, he partners with leaders to help them unearth organic growth – more engaged employees, customers and suppliers.

Pa has an MSc and a BSc in International Economics and Finance from Universiteit van Tilburg in The Netherlands. Born and raised in The Gambia, Pa has lived in Germany, The Netherlands and Tunisia. Pa speaks English, German and Wolof.

KEY TAKE-AWAY
  • Despite progress in terms of living standards on multiple fronts, the fact remains that negative emotions (globally) are on the rise. This trend has been further exacerbated by the Covid pandemic and its consequences, but it was not generated by them.
  • From 2014 Gallup has been asking the question “Did you feel a lot of anger yesterday?”  The percentage of respondents logging an affirmative response keeps rising.
  • Almost regardless of geographical or societal context the components of a ‘life well lived’ are more or less consistent and comprise the following:
    • Physical wellbeing/health
    • Social wellbeing (defined by a sense of appreciation during at least 6 hours a day, everyday)
    • Belonging to a community
    • Financial stability and freedom from debt
  • The significance of b. and d. are what make the workplace experience so vital in overall wellbeing, life well-lived scoring.
  • Financial instability is a wellbeing killer.
  • 20% of the world’s workforce feels it is invisible or overlooked and only 33% have the impression that someone in their work environment cares about them as an individual. These results are inextricably linked to an overall positive (or otherwise) evaluation of life.
  • Leadership approach and good management emerge as the most crucial factors in creating a positive workplace experience, trumping almost all other factors. More women in managerial positions often correlates with a better quality of workplace experience.
  • Employee expectations have not generally changed, what has altered is a readiness to express them and demand a response.
  • Successful management and leadership must increasingly recognize the significance of the emotional and human dimensions of their employees’ requirements if an effective workplace experience is to be achieved.
  • The need for this difficult change of mindset at executive level is increasingly being acknowledged by those implicated. (80% in a recent survey).