An alarming Gallup poll published earlier this year is still sending shockwaves throughout the business community: Most American workers either hate their jobs or don't care one way or the other about them.

Less than a third of Americans are actively engaged in their work, meaning they're passionate about it, enthusiastic and energetic. They're consistently productive, and high performing.

Gallup estimates the 20 million who are "actively disengaged" - openly negative and unhappy have a staggering effect on the economy, costing the United States $450 to $550 billion each year in lost productivity.

"To engage the 70 percent of non-committal or 'actively disengage' employees,  business managers need to change how they view human capital," says Trevor Wilson, CEO of TWI Inc., a global corporate speaker, human equity strategist and author of "The Human Equity Advantage," (humanequityadvantage.com).

"Engaging employees is an issue I've been working on for more than two decades, and there is a solution. I call it human equity -- the unique assets each individual brings to the workplace that are often unrecognized. Recognizing and leveraging your own human equity, as well as that of your employees, addresses not only the incredible waste of human capital illustrated in the recent poll, but also related concerns business leaders share, including the constant need for innovation. These challenges are not unique to the United States."

There is a reason why executive royalty, such as Warren Buffet and former General Electric CEO Jack Welsh, sought talent beyond traditional criteria like knowledge and skills, which are also important, says Wilson. He offers a method for uncovering valuable intangibles in employees; he calls it the SHAPE V Talent model:

• Strengths: Consider strength as defined by the 1999 Gallup StrengthsFinder study, which includes "consistent near-perfect performance in an activity." The study identifies 34 qualities, which can be innate and, unlike skills, are not learned. Individual employees and managers should not force a square peg into a round hole; if an employee's near-perfect, near-effortless strength is in research and analysis, but not so much in data management, managers should allocate this resource accordingly.

• Heart: Have you ever wondered what comes first, whether you're good at something because you like it, or you like it because you're good at it? The chicken-or-egg question aside, what matters is the passion one has for a talent. This includes activities a worker would do even if he or she didn't have to do it on the job. If a talented manager won the lottery and decided to quit his job, for example, he might be inclined to manage people in a local political campaign or take the helm of his son's little league team.

• Attitude: There are three general attitudes an employee might have, according to a branch of study in positive psychology. First, there are those who approach their work as a job, who seek only a paycheck and benefits. The second group includes those with a career perspective who seek advancement. The third group views their work as a calling and deeply connects with what they do every day.

• Personality: In 2009, nearly $500 million was spent on personality testing in North America alone. A reliable test isn't valuable in so much as it reveals differences among workers, which are most likely already apparent. The value of these tests is in showing how and where differences lie. Understanding differences can lead to an appreciation for how and why coworkers perform and improve the synergy of teams.

• Experience: Who is the person you're sitting next to at work; who is she when she's not making business-to-business calls, scheduling meetings or troubleshooting technical problems? How does her race, religion, economic background, family situation and overall lifestyle influence - or not influence - her work life? More importantly, how might her life beyond work offer diversity of thought in the workplace? Life experience should not be overlooked when assessing talent.

• Virtue: "Value in action, that's virtue," Wilson says. Candor, temperance, courage - these traits preempt problems like public scandals, harassment and discrimination and foster a positive moral pragmatism among coworkers and practical wisdom among leaders. With social media continuing to expose bad behavior and employee morale revealed to be at a stunning low, this is a significant quality in the on-going search for the best talent.

About Trevor Wilson

Trevor Wilson is the CEO of TWI Inc. and creator of the human equity management model. He is the global diversity, inclusion and human equity strategist who regularly speaks at corporate functions. TWI's clients include some of the most progressive global employers in the world, including Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, BNP Paribas and Home Depot. TWI's trademarked human equity approach was instrumental in catapulting Coca-Cola's South Africa division to the top performing division worldwide.

QUAD CITIES?Volunteers for the tenth annual Xstream Cleanup on Saturday, August 10 removed approximately 45,534 pounds of debris from area waterways and illegal dump sites. Cleanups were held at 48 locations in Bettendorf, Buffalo, Davenport, LeClaire, McCausland and Lost Grove Lake, Iowa; and in Milan, Moline, Rock Island and Silvis, Illinois.

A total of 1,564 volunteers worked a total of 4,398 hours and collectively gathered 1,129 bags of trash, 288 tires, 15 appliances, nine bicycles, 16 pieces of furniture, 16 televisions and 14 mattresses. This was the equivalent of 36,700 pounds of trash, 6,912 pounds of tires, 1,125 pounds of appliances, 207 pounds of bicycles, 240 pounds of televisions and 350 pounds of mattresses for a grand total of 45,534 pounds. In addition, volunteers removed 35,180 pounds of material from Living Lands and Waters' barge. The material was hand-sorted by volunteers, and 15,000 pounds were recycled.

Additional items found, not reflected in the pounds above, included steel and iron pipes, car parts (including bumpers), water skis, wooden pallets, picnic tables, chairs, tents, sleeping bags, a shopping cart, a bowling ball, a sink and a micro-SD card.

In addition, this year the following locations worked on invasive species removal and storm-drain marking:

• Bettendorf: 134 storm drains marked to discourage illegal dumping
• Davenport: 216 storm drains marked to discourage illegal dumping
• Fairmount Cemetery in Davenport: 243 yards of invasive plants removed
• Green Valley Nature Preserve in Moline: One ton truck full of brush removed
• Nahant Marsh in Davenport: Eight trailers of woody invasive plants removed

Photos from the event may be viewed via www.xstreamcleanup.org.

Xstream Cleanup 2013 is sponsored by the following. Presenting Sponsors: Group O and Riverboat Development Authority. Platinum Sponsors: Alcoa, THE National Bank, Living Lands & Waters® and Waste Commission of Scott County. Gold Sponsors: Iowa American Water, Rock Island County Waste Management Agency and The Moline Foundation. Silver Sponsors: Alter Metal Recycling, DHL Global Forwarding, Independent Insurance Agents of Scott County, McCarthy-Bush Corporation, MidAmerican Energy, Radish magazine, R. A Jones, Quad City Conservation Alliance, Sears Seating and Wallace's Garden Center. Bronze Sponsors: Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Downtown Davenport Partnership, Eastern Iowa Grain Inspection, Great River Brewery, Lowe's and Mel Foster Company. Logistics Sponsors: Cities of Bettendorf, Buffalo, Davenport, LeClaire, McCausland, Milan, Moline, Rock Island and Silvis; Bi-State Regional Commission, Keep Rock Island Beautiful, iLivehere®, Partners of Scott County Watersheds, Republic Services and River Roots Live.

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'Take Root' Focuses on Farm Business and Succession Planning

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - August 8, 2013 - Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state's largest grassroots farm organization, launched a new program today to help farmers develop business and succession plans. The program, called Take Root, was established to help farm families work through a step-by-step process of developing a vision for their operation and a managed approach to the obstacles they face in farm growth and transition.

"Over 97 percent of farms in Iowa are family-owned and operated, according to the 2007 Ag Census, and we'd like to see that continue," said IFBF Farm Business Development Manager Nathan Katzer. "Our aim is to provide resources to help farm families build their own vision for the future, because creating a vision that's bigger than you could grow by yourself is at the root of business and succession planning."

A series of four "Take Root" business continuation and succession planning sessions will be offered around the state starting this month, free of charge for Farm Bureau members and $45 for non-members.

"Many Farm Bureau members told us that succession planning is one of their biggest ongoing concerns," Katzer said. "We want to help multi-generation farm families develop plans to bring the younger members into the ownership structure of the operation and will help families develop flexible contingencies for the uncertain times ahead."

Katzer said surveys of Iowa farms highlight a clear need for a program like Take Root.  "History shows us that only 30 percent of the farms successfully make the transition from the first to the second generation and only 10 percent of those make it to the third generation.  Keeping Iowa farming legacies intact and ongoing is essential to the continued success of our state's agriculture industry," he said.

Katzer said each plan will be different because they will build on the strengths of each farm and be customized to their needs.

The Take Root program will connect farmers with expert resources including lenders, attorneys, Iowa State University and others who have been successful in helping farm families manage their farm transitions.

"The program is a comprehensive approach to planning for a family farm's continuation and growth from the roots up," said Katzer.

The four pilot sites for the Take Root sessions are:

August 29 in Eldora at 6:00 p.m. at the Fire House Grill.

September 9 in Fort Dodge at 6:00 p.m. at the Webster County Farm Bureau office.

September 10 in Nashua at the Iowa State University Borlaug Center at 6:30 p.m.

September 12 in Creston at 6:30 p.m. at Southwestern Community College.

For more information on Take Root, go to www.iowafarmbureau.com or contact Katzer at 515-225-5494 or nkatzer@ifbf.org.

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Events include Loose Gravel performance, agriculture awards

SPRINGFIELD - August 8, 2013. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today announced her plans for the 2013 Illinois State Fair, which include the third annual appearance of her band, Loose Gravel, and an award ceremony honoring centennial farm families from Illinois.

Visitors to the Lt. Governor's tent can donate a phone to benefit domestic violence victims, take a no-texting-while-driving pledge and pose in a photo booth that commemorates past Lt. Governors. The tent's theme is "Lt. Governors Answer Your Call."

"The Illinois State Fair is a wonderful celebration of the things that make Illinois a great place to work and live, from our rich agricultural history, to local foods and music," said Simon. "My family and I have enjoyed the fair for many years, and I hope many other Illinois families will do the same."

On Governor's Day, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon and Loose Gravel will perform at the Miller Lite tent from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Carbondale-based blues band debuted at state fair two years ago and is the only group fronted by a constitutional officer to perform.

On Agriculture Day, Simon will celebrate Illinois' rich agricultural heritage by presenting the Ag Day Awards to families who have farmed in the state for at least 100 years. A resident of southern Illinois, Simon is chair of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council, an advocate for agriculture education, and has relatives who have farmed for a century near Steeleville.

Throughout the 10-day event, Simon is encouraging visitors to her tent to bring used cell phones, which will be refurbished and donated to survivors of domestic violence. Visitors will also be able to join Simon in taking the "It Can Wait" pledge to not text while driving. In addition, visitors to her tent can learn a bit of Lt. Governor history and pose with portraits of those who have held the office.

Lt. Governor Simon's tent is located at the intersection of Main Street and Brian Raney Avenue, across from the Emmerson Building and will be open Friday, Aug. 9 to Sunday, Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.  

SIMON'S STATE FAIR SCHEDULE

EVENT: Ag Day Awards
DATE: Tuesday, August 13
TIME: 12:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Director's Lawn, Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon Avenue, Springfield

EVENT: Loose Gravel performance
DATE: Wednesday, August 14
TIME: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Miller Lite tent, Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon Avenue, Springfield