Attracting & Keeping Motivated Team Members
Cathie Leimbach • August 27, 2020
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If you prefer to have a 50% staff turnover every year rather then attracting and retaining quality team members, this article isn't for you! If you are interested in developing and keeping value-adding team members, read on!
We know that life will never again be like it was six months ago, but we aren't sure what the future will bring. However, we do know some factors that will be key to future success.
People are most engaged and productive when their personal values intersect with the values of their workplace. Therefore, organizations whose culture is aligned with the desired values of the workforce are the most likely to come out of our current disruption profitably.
Barrett Values Centre recently conducted a study on workplace values, gaining insight on future expectations. Barrett asked employees of all ages, and at all levels of many organizations, to indicate the values they experienced at work before Covid, are seeing during Covid, and would like to regularly encounter after Covid.
Which of the preferences uncovered by the survey would help your organization have a bright future?
- We have all adapted to unexpected realities this year. Many people now have a mindset that Adaptability is a highly valuable attribute. In the survey, all levels of employees (C-Suite/Executives, Managers, and Staff) indicate that the value that they most want in the new normal work world is adaptability. All ages of employees (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z) agree.
- Are you as a leader ready to adapt to the realities of the majority of your employees? Are you ready to establish workplace practices that they value personally so they are more enthusiastic and productive at work and become experts in serving your customers' needs and wants?
- Employee Engagement and/or Teamwork are desired at all levels of the organization and by all age groups except Baby Boomers. Living these values requires that employees appreciate and trust each other and enjoy their work. However only 17% of employees feel appreciated at work, and low levels of transparency, vulnerability, and trust have been the norm in many organizations.
- Are you as a leader ready to prioritize healthy interpersonal relationships in your organization? Are you prepared to allocate time and resources for everyone to develop stronger soft skills? Most companies who are developing staff in these areas are experiencing a higher return on such investments than from technical skill training.
- Open Communication is desired by the C-Suite/Executives and by Staff. Both Millennials and Generation Z value it. However, it isn't seen as important by Managers, Baby Boomers, and Generation X.
- Many mid-level managers are Baby Boomers or Generation X. They may be responsible for hiring, onboarding, training and development, quality output, and performance reviews. Yet, most managers don't excel in these tasks. Open communication is essential for success in these areas. Are you as a leader ready to ensure your organization equips everyone who manages other employees with the skills to excel?
The majority of the workforce is expressing a desire to work for organizations where the values of Adaptability, Employee Engagement, Teamwork, and Open Communication are experienced every day. When employees' personal values are aligned with their workplace values, the organizations have stronger bottom lines.
Are you ready to invest in equipping your managers to lead your staff towards a win/win workplace experience? Or, would you rather put up with turnover, mediocre productivity, and ho-hum bottom line results?
Jason left his one-on-one feeling encouraged. His supervisor, Ellen, had listened as he described competing deadlines and his interest in becoming a team leader. They talked about the possibility of shifting some of his workload. Ellen also suggested that training might help him prepare for a leadership role. "Let's work on that," she said. Jason thought help was coming. Ellen thought Jason would bring her a plan. Two weeks later, the deadlines were closer. Nothing had been reassigned. Neither had looked into training. During their next one-on-one, Ellen asked how things were going. "I'm still waiting to hear which project you want me to focus on," Jason said. "I thought we agreed that you would work that out." "And the leadership training?" "Did you find a course?" Jason paused. "I thought you were going to recommend one." They had discussed the same topics. They had left with different expectations. Neither intended to let the other down. But they hadn't agreed on who would do what, or when. Turn a Good Conversation into Clear Next Steps Listening matters. So does what happens after you listen. Before you end your next one-on-one, take a few minutes to make sure you and your employee understand what comes next. Talk about priorities. If everything can't be done at once, agree on what comes first. Ask what might get in the way, and what support would help. Make room for professional growth, too. What does the employee want to learn? What responsibility would they like to prepare for? Identify a step you can each take to move that development forward. Then write down your agreements. Keep the notes simple: what needs to happen, who will do it, and by when. Include your own commitments. Putting It Into Practice Ellen and Jason tried again. "The client proposal comes first," Ellen said. "I'll talk with Marcus today about taking over the weekly report. By Friday, I'll let you know whether he can." "I'll find two leadership courses before our next meeting," Jason said. "Then we can talk about which one fits." Both Jason and Ellen knew what to do next. The following week, both reported their findings and they made decisions on how to move forward. Jason’s work became more aligned with Ellen’s departmental goals. Jason felt valued and appreciated. Their weekly one-to-ones became the backbone of their workplace success. Want to Make Your Workplace Conversations More Productive? Join us for the Workplace Conversations Clinic on October 19 . Bring a conversation you want to handle more effectively, and let's work on making the next steps clear. Register Here
Sally appreciated that her supervisor made time for weekly one-on-ones. It made her feel valued. But after 18 months with Emerald Corp, something was missing. She rarely received feedback. Her supervisor didn’t tell her what she was doing especially well—or where she needed to improve. And although the company had promised continuing education when she was hired, no development opportunities had materialized. Sally loved learning. Several next-level positions interested her, but she knew she needed additional knowledge and skills. Meanwhile, two college classmates working in other departments had already been promoted. She was a fast learner. She was getting bored. And she was beginning to wonder whether she had a future at Emerald. So Sally started applying elsewhere. During Monday’s one-on-one, she asked her supervisor whether he would serve as a reference. He was stunned. “You’re doing well,” he said. “There are lots of opportunities for you here.” Sally asked whether he would support her applying for an internal position. “Well, you’re doing fairly well,” he replied, “but there are several things you could be doing better. You’d also need more experience or training before you’d be ready for the next level.” Sally was confused. “What should I be doing better?” Her supervisor mentioned a few areas for improvement. “Why haven’t you told me this before?” Sally asked. “No news is good news,” he replied. “You’re certainly not at risk of losing your job.” “But you’re telling me I’m not ready for a promotion. How am I supposed to improve if I don’t know what you expect?” Her supervisor assumed Sally would figure it out over time. Sally had assumed she was already meeting expectations. Both assumptions were costly. Within days, Sally had two interviews with other companies. One-on-Ones Should Help Employees Succeed Employees shouldn’t have to guess what high performance looks like. One-on-ones are an opportunity to make expectations clear and help employees become more successful. Talk about what they are doing well. Be specific about where improvement is needed. Ask about their challenges, interests, and future goals. Then provide the coaching, training, and support that can help them succeed. Don’t wait until an employee asks for a reference to talk about their future. Ask before you assume. Conversation is where leadership happens™ Want to Make Your Workplace Conversations More Productive? Join us for the Workplace Conversations Clinic on October 19 . Bring a conversation you want to handle more effectively, and let's work on making the next steps clear. Register HERE
