Employees often make exit decisions without proactive communication. Thirty-six percent of voluntary leavers report that they did not talk to anyone before they made the decision to resign. Even when employees did talk to someone while deliberating, their managers were frequently left in the dark. Gallup found it was more likely that employees had such discussions with their coworkers than their managers. If managers want to prevent employee turnover, they cannot wait for employees to express their intentions to leave. The manager is responsible for initiating the right conversations before their employees make the decision to leave their jobs. Employee discontent and voluntary exits are highly preventable. Learn what your organization can do to prevent turnover: https://lnkd.in/gUwTm59s
There’s not much worse as an org leader than seeing a valued member leave and knowing/feeling/learning that you could have done something about it. I’ve learned over the years to be very intentional about and prioritize understanding my folks’ needs. Hard to meet desires that you’re not aware of. Important too to recognize that needs change frequently and so frequency of listening is equally critical as the act itself.
What a sad statistic... Here are a few quick pro tips to help avoid this situation. 1/ Have a "stay" interview. Do this when things are going well. Understand an employees motives and incentives for performance in their role. By having these conversations when things are going well you are more likely to avoid being part of the aforementioned statistic. 2/ Don't be scared to talk about compensation. Have conversations with your directs at minimum twice a year to get insight on how the employee is feeling relative to their compensation. 3/ Regularly seek feedback from peers, stakeholders, and your direct reports. This builds trust and creates opportunities for you to quickly course correct if needed.
Performance is ALL about brain function ... the evolution of leadership and management theories, over the last century, devoid of any concerns for what we now know through advances in neuroscience, has established (imprinted) beliefs (brain wiring) in an approach that is all-consumed by concerns for financial outcomes & control. It turns out, much of 'best practice' isn't best for brains, and therefore, (somewhat ironically) isn't best for performance or profit, demanding behaviours that sit at base of toxicity, defensiveness and a lack of connection, trust, collaboration and innovation. The sooner the basics of neuroscience and the similarities of human brain function become common knowledge in board rooms, the sooner we will see a higher quality of life lead to better outcomes for all ... including those focused on the top and bottom line.
It is not just about the conversation. It not as simple as the manager having these conversations. It is also about if the organization is willing to do the things necessary to keep employees. How about having these conversations and coming up with plan to then have it shot down by upper management or ownership? Ask managers why they don't have these questions and their answers might surprise you. Some managers might tell you that they are in no win situations. They know that they are going to lose good employees and they know that their company is not willing to do what it takes to keep said employees.
People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad leadership/management. I’ve worked hard jobs that were long hours and physically demanding. But when surrounded by great leaders and teams, it didn’t matter. We were in it together, it made it worthwhile. I’ve left “easy” jobs because I didn’t feel valued, invested in or see any room to grow. Things that are easily addressed by good leadership.
Over my forty years as a leader and contractor consultant in leadership development when people mention communication they are talking about interpersonal communication between people. Most people in general have not had courses in interpersonal communication. In K-12 in America we don’t teach interpersonal communication. We teach grammar and English but no interpersonal communication. Many college students can get through doctorate programs without an interpersonal communication course. Yet consistently you will see negative data related to lack of communication as you see in this poll. I have seen this same scenario in many leadership studies. The vast majority of organizations don’t have effective interpersonal communications between leaders and employees. Google studies back into the 1980s you will see a trend pointing towards poor management relationships and poor communication. This is why I emphasize interpersonal communication is one of three key components of a new leadership paradigm and why what I term Renaissance Leaders must master interpersonal communication to adapt to the challenges of the future decades.
I'll go ahead and put myself in that 42%. It's not hard if you actually listen to your people because they will tell you what they need. Most of us just want to feel seen, heard, and valued, especially top performers.
It's astounding to see that nearly 40% of people who voluntarily leave a job don't talk with their managers before making their decision to go. 🤯 With half of US workers watching or actively seeking new jobs, it's a more important than eve for all managers—whether their employees seem content or not—to check in and see how things are going with their people. Communication is key to seeing what, if anything, can be done to help a voluntary "leaver" find success in their current role and possibly stay with their company. There isn't always a clear solution, but an open dialogue is a good start.
People leave to avoid or reverse the negative impact thier work is having on their mental state, which is driven by the culture, behaviours of others and unrealistic expectations. When companies can listen to and address those factors, people will step away from their flight response and feel more in control of their lives, making it easier for them to improve and impact the way their company operates and their lives.
Leadership Faculty, State University New York | Leadership Coach, Einstein College of Medicine | Global Executive Coach & Facilitator | Harvard Business Review Contributor
1moYour boss has a greater impact on your mental health than anyone else in your life.