“We all work at the same company; but is everyone on the same page?” Dale Carnegie Training’s latest global study reveals that for many organizations, the answer is no. Despite shared goals, a significant disconnect exists between leaders, managers, and individual contributors, creating hidden barriers to engagement, trust, and sustainable performance.

The white paper, "Bridging the Gap: Aligning Workplace Perceptions Across Organizational Levels," offers groundbreaking insights from over 3,375 professionals across 18 countries. It reveals a consistent negative trend in perception as one moves down the organizational hierarchy, with far-reaching implications for employee satisfaction, talent retention, and productivity.

Revealing the Disconnect
The study uncovers key areas where misalignment leads to critical challenges:

• Trust Erosion: Only 15% of individual contributors feel there is trust in their workplace, compared to 45% of leaders.
• Engagement Divide: While 42% of leaders are highly engaged, this number drops to 22% for managers and just 9% for individual contributors.
• Goal Clarity Gap: Half of leaders (50%) report a clear understanding of company goals, but only 26% of individual contributors share this perspective.
• Perception of Success: Only 35% of respondents collectively said their teams exceeded goals, with leaders reporting significantly higher success rates than managers and individual contributors.
• Turnover Signals: Employees consistently cite feeling undervalued and a lack of career advancement opportunities as key reasons for leaving.

A Blueprint for Alignment
Dale Carnegie’s research identifies key drivers of engagement and retention common across roles—such as feeling valued and effective communication—while also addressing role-specific needs:

• For Leaders: Clarity in organizational goals enhances strategic alignment and engagement.
• For Managers: Career advancement opportunities build loyalty and motivation.
• For Individual Contributors: Connecting daily contributions to the company’s success fosters a sense of purpose.

Reflecting on the findings, Pallavi Jha Chairperson and Managing Director of Dale Carnegie India, stated “Alignment across hierarchies is not just a strategic priority—it is the foundation for high-performing teams. Businesses that proactively address these gaps cultivate innovative and inclusive work cultures, driving measurable gains across productivity and growth. For over a century, Dale Carnegie has empowered organizations worldwide to transform cultures and build exceptional teams. This research reaffirms our commitment to equipping businesses with actionable strategies to close alignment gaps- fostering trust, communication, and engagement across all levels.”Discover How Dale Carnegie India Can HelpTo access the full white paper and explore how Dale Carnegie India can help your organization foster alignment and achieve transformational results, visit website.
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About Walchand PeopleFirst and Dale Carnegie India: Walchand PeopleFirst Ltd. is a leading professional development and training company and the exclusive master franchisee of Dale Carnegie Training in India. With a century-old legacy and more than 9 million individuals empowered globally, Dale Carnegie’s proven methodologies build leadership excellence and high-performance cultures.
For over two decades, Dale Carnegie Training India has built strategic partnerships with 8,500+ clients, developing 700,000+ professionals across industries—from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. Leveraging Dale Carnegie’s time-tested methodologies and proprietary iMAP process, we deliver customized solutions that drive measurable business transformations at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

A division of Walchand PeopleFirst Ltd., Walchand Plus was established in 2015 to provide CSR skilling, training, and consulting services. Committed to creating sustainable impact, Walchand Plus enables underserved communities to realise their potential with market-relevant and lifelong skills.