The Great Resignation
Three words, The Great Resignation, seem to be on many people’s lips and I can’t help but wonder if the more this is talked about, the more it accelerates? So, I thought I’d flip the coin here and talk about ‘The Great Retention’ in the next few blogs – that is, simple ways to keep your talent. For example, conversations that employees wish you had with them; how to design a succession plan (particularly if you don't have an HR team doing this for you) and the contagion of positive leadership. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Blog 1
3 Conversations managers need to have with their team (before they leave you)
I always feel frustrated when I read the common statistic that some 90% of people leave their jobs because of their manager. What are all these managers doing (or not doing?). I’d like to think that in the post pandemic world of compassionate leadership this has changed, but a recent Gallup study more than half of employees surveyed said that no one — including their manager — had talked to them about how they were feeling in their role in their last three months before they quit. And 52% of exiting employees stressed that their manager or organization could have done something to prevent them from leaving their job.
In leadership training, I’m often talking about the three needs that drive team motivation and high performance:
1. Direction (the vision, purpose and road map)
2. Progression (feedback, challenge and autonomy)
3. Connection (support, team spirit and room to play).
And if you examine those three needs, you can see how they drive conversations that positively influence an employee’s growth with you. Career development remains the number one focus for people, and, according to Gallup, two-thirds of people — regardless of their level — leave their company because of a lack of career-development opportunities.
So, here are ten interesting coaching questions to act as a catalyst for a great conversation with someone in your team - and you never know, they just might reconsider their decision to go.
1. Direction
How exciting is our vision of the future for you, and what role can you see yourself playing in the future of the organisation?
Do you feel a sense of purpose in your job? How can we help (re)kindle this?
How would you like to grow with our organisation?
2. Progression
How can you bring your best self to work every day?
What do we as a company/as a team/as a manager need to do differently to enable this?
What would great feedback look/feel like for you (that would empower you?)
What role would you love to do here, (whether it exists at the moment or not) that would fulfil you, stretch and challenge you?
3. Connection
How can I support you in your growth?
How can we grow as a team more effectively?
Where’s the space for us to play as a team, and what would that look like?
What I’m getting at here is demonstrating with your questions that the career development of people you lead matters to you, now and in the future. How they use their strengths is important to you and that to remain in your company and your team, you get that people need to feel stretched, celebrated and challenged, not bored or undervalued. And even if they go, they will leave with the knowledge that you cared.
Resignation or Retention?