Culture is top-down – never bottom-up. Read that sentence again and then look in the mirror. Ask yourself – would you work for yourself? How much fun are you to be around? If people are quitting – it’s your fault. It’s rarely about the money. Money is important, but it’s much more than that. What are you doing to convince them to stay? More importantly – have you created an environment that encourages them to stay? The great resignation is just an excuse for poor management and inept leadership.

“Bury your ego. Don’t be the star. Be the star-maker.” – Bud Hadfield. If you want people to stay, you need to start acting like you want them to stay. Here are five things you should do to convince them not to leave.

Be empathetic. Try to see things from their point of view. Get all the facts and find out what’s really going on before making a decision. You don’t have to have all the answers, but you do need to know where to go to find them.

Let them do it their way. Resist the urge to micro-manage. You’re going to get credit for the end product. There are several ways to accomplish the same task. It doesn’t have to be just your way. The more you allow them to be part of the process – the more likely they will want to be part of the solution instead of the problem.

Build relationships. People like to work with people they like. Not everyone wants to lead – but everyone picks who they want to follow. Get to know everyone on your team – more than just the work that they do. What do they like to do outside of work? Do they have hobbies? Are they into gardening, sports or do they like to read?

Develop your people and promote from within. Do you hire stupid people – or do they just get stupid after working for you? If you aren’t teaching people what they need to know, then you aren’t doing your job. Your number one job is to ensure they have the tools and know-how to complete the task – to reach the goal. Not everyone wants to be promoted. But you need to let your high achievers who aspire to take on more responsibility and move up in the organization know that there is a path for them.

If the team succeeds – everyone succeeds. “It is not the individual but the team that is the instrument of sustained and enduring success in management.” – Anthony Jay. Everyone on the team needs to work independently, but they must coordinate their efforts with other team members to accomplish the overall objective. Everyone on the team needs to understand that others are counting on them to do their part.

Have you done enough so they’ll want to stay? If people are quitting – it’s your fault.

Copyright (c) 2021. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit https://briansmithpld.com – Planning a lunch-n-learn, organizing an event or looking for a keynote speaker? Give Brian a call. He will customize a program that is right for you and your organization.