How the Feelings Index Drives Alignment & Retention

Original Article by Cynthia Kyriazis | Updated for PL3

Audience: Leaders in PE, VC & Family-Owned Businesses

Overview: The second of a four-part series on the four factors that can devastate a culture and organizational performance when left unaddressed.

Leaders often talk about connection - but how do they measure it?  And how often do they take this action?

Why Connectedness Matters

Disconnected teams aren’t just a culture problem - they’re a performance liability.

When employees feel disconnected, the ripple effects show up fast:

• Projects lose momentum

• Communication breaks down

• Accountability becomes inconsistent

• Energy, focus, and motivation erode.

In our experience, this breakdown is rarely caused by apathy. It usually stems from a lack of direction, clarity, or trust in leadership. Employees feel “out of the loop” or unsupported and fail to see how their work connects to broader goals. Or more importantly, why it matters.

The Feelings Index 

Using Sageforge.ai, we track this information and identify it as the Feelings Index - a signal that reveals how connected employees feel to their organization and each other. It’s not a vague engagement score but a real-time metric of alignment, commitment, and cultural risk. When the measurement score is low, it’s almost always a precursor to retention issues, performance drag, or fractured execution.

What the Feelings Index Reveals

The Feelings Index tracks this kind of sentiment before it shows up in lagging indicators like turnover or engagement surveys.

A low index score often signals:

• Poor communication or visibility from leadership

• Mixed messages about priorities

• Unacknowledged wins or effort

• Cultural misalignment between teams or departments.

And the most overlooked consequence? Talent loss - not just at the frontlines, but often in key middle management roles.

What Leaders Can Do

Leaders who score high on the Feelings Index tend to:

• Communicate transparently about direction and decisions

• Create structure and focus without micromanaging

• Acknowledge contributions regularly

• Make time to listen and respond—not just push.

  
  

Connection doesn’t require charisma. It requires consistency and intention.

Takeaways

Connection is measurable. It’s manageable. And it’s a major lever for retention and execution.

If you’re not tracking how your people feel - about their work, their team, and your leadership - you’re missing a leading indicator of performance risk.

That’s why our clients rely on the Feelings Index to surface disconnection early, course-correct quickly, and lead with clarity.

Cynthia Kyriazis is the Chief Experience Officer at The Culture Think Tank. Her experience includes executive coaching, consulting, and training. Book a 15-minute chat to discuss your people, performance or profit challenges.