Written by Alan Berson, Author, Leadership Conversations
Common Taking Action Challenge:
Our best people move on to other jobs at the same time we are trying to build a strong team and do succession planning. We feel great about their success yet it does get in the way of reaching our own team goals and potentially even our own ability to be promoted.
The Solution:
Hold “stay interviews” once per quarter or more frequently if working conditions are not conducive to employee satisfaction. We often tend to the squeaky wheels but shortchange the well-oiled ones! At the same time we often ask more from our best people and hold them to higher standards. They see the ‘unmotivated’ or ‘lazy’ folks in the group getting all the attention while they perform all of the hard work. Feelings count, and your top performers feel this is unfair. Put time with your best people on your calendar and do not bump these meetings unless a true crisis intervenes.
The Thought Process:
Since a team is a group of individuals brought together to reach common goals, it is critical to tie your people’s passions to their roles and to show how everyone will gain from reaching both team and individual goals. People virtually always take action with positive intentions; they just might not be the same as yours. Stop thinking that someone is trying to hurt you by leaving and be curious instead about what they are trying to achieve. Consider, what is your part in their departure? Regularly be transparent with them about their future potential and your plans for them. Discuss how they can assist in mentoring others to build the overall competency of your team, to ensure that others can pull their weight in the future, and to build their own skills that will lead to their future success in higher roles. Future success is not just tied to doing today’s job well, but also to learning the new requirements for success at the next level.
Alan Berson is an author, keynote speaker, executive coach, Learning Director at Wharton Executive Education and the CEO of Leadership Conversation LLC based in Potomac, MD. His recent book, LEADERSHIP CONVERSATIONS: Challenging High-Potential Managers to Become Great Leaders, was released by Jossey-Bass in March of this year and was named as one of the top 10 management/leadership books by Amazon.com.
