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Roadsigns and Retention

Written by: Karen Kelloway

Article Overview: Retaining the talent we work so hard to recruit and train is important and deserves attention. Good managers know this. Unfortunately, these same good managers often get so sidetracked putting out fires that so-called ‘maintenance’ activities get pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Read on for more...

Roadsigns and Retention

Retaining the talent we work so hard to recruit and train is important and deserves attention. Good managers know this. Unfortunately, these same good managers often get so sidetracked putting out fires that so-called ‘maintenance’ activities get pushed to the bottom of the priority list.

Most organizations are pretty good about sharing their business plans with staff at yearly meetings. But how often do managers unfurl these shiny scrolls during one-on-one meetings with staff to make the link between individual job performance and big picture goals? Most people take a dutiful glance at the plan and then carry on putting out fires and forging their own trail until it’s time to create next year’s plan.

Which got me thinking…

There’s a big four way intersection not far from my home that has gone under a bit of a facelift. Lanes have been added, rerouted and merged - all in the name of cutting down traffic congestion and getting us to where we need to go a little bit faster. But for me, the intersection has become confusing. I’ve come very close to being sideswiped several times ─and at least two of those near misses were not my fault.

And then one day as I was front and centre waiting at the stop light, I noticed several new signs that clearly explained which lane lead to which road, and how long I had before the lanes merged. I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we would all know where we were going, I thought happily. The problem was, no one was reading the road signs. Even though the path was marked so clearly, cars were still coming within inches of colliding with each other.

Whenever I drive through that intersection, I find myself holding my breath until I get to the other side.

I think there are lots of employees out there holding their breath. They’ll get by – but you have to wonder – how much potential are we losing out on? In the world of coaching, we look for ways to increase the team synergy, productivity and enjoyment of one’s work. Employees are more motivated and collaborative when they can link their daily tasks to the big picture. Understanding how they contribute to the organization gives them greater job satisfaction; it even helps them sleep better. And most importantly there’s a greater chance they’ll focus their energy on helping to achieve the organization’s goals instead of searching for another job.

Part of keeping the talent we work so hard to hire is making sure they not only understand the big picture goals, but are bought into them and really get how their daily tasks are contributing. And this means taking the time to consistently check in with them to make sure they are on track and that you’re all merging and moving forward in an effortless flow of productivity.

Questions for Reflection

1. On a scale of 1-10, how in synch is your team with the big picture goals?
2. What are your top three business goals?
3. How are you acknowledging the milestones achieved along the way?
4. How do you want to be kept informed of progress?
5. How does each of your employees like to check in with you?
6. How are you tapping into the individual strengths of your staff?

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Article Tags: big picture, business plans, cars, facelift, glance, good managers, holding my breath, intersection, job, little bit, maintenance activities, near misses, priority, productivity, putting out fires, road signs, several times, sigh of relief, team synergy, traffic congestion



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