Engineering happiness

A woman once reported her husband missing. She handed the officer a photograph and answered all the routine questions. Just as he wrapped up the paperwork, the officer asked if she’d like to leave a message in case they found him.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

She didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” she said. “Tell my husband... Mother didn’t come after all.”

There’s no mystery here. That man wasn’t missing. He left — probably to escape a situation he didn’t want to face.

Sometimes, people don’t vanish because they’re lost. They vanish because they’re done.

It also happens in the workplace. People call in sick, take sudden leaves, or stop showing up altogether. They ghost jobs not because they’re irresponsible, but because something deeper is off. No amount of attendance tracking or productivity software can explain why someone mentally checks out long before they physically walk out.

And yet, we live in a time of remarkable technological optimism. Across the Philippines, companies — from banks and retail chains to BPOs and government offices are embracing artificial intelligence.

AI is being touted as the answer to inefficiency, the cure for sluggish output. We are told it can automate tasks, eliminate waste, and unlock new heights of productivity.

But here’s the reality check: technology can shrink a task. Only people can grow a business.

Time and again, I’ve seen this while conducting training needs analyses with clients before a leadership program. Many of your young people are unhappy. Quietly, often invisibly, disengagement is eroding your teams.

Globally, disengagement is draining trillions from the economy. In the Philippines, we observe this in high BPO turnover, chronic underemployment, and the silent trend we now call “quiet quitting.”