Approximately 25% of employees do not feel loyal to their current employer and 20% say they are likely to leave their current position to change jobs within a year, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey of HR professionals and hiring managers. Although I am not completely surprised by these figures, the percentages are nonetheless disturbing and warrant our attention. Ongoing recruitment, training and retention are costly endeavors on multiple fronts. Disengaged employees erode retention, productivity and profitability. Moreover, as with one bad apple, their attitudes tend to be infectious, spreading negativity to fellow employees, thereby further exacerbating the problem and escalating the overall damage. Far too many employees live in a state of comfortable misery and something must be done about this pervasive issue.
The bottom line is that employee dissatisfaction can largely be attributed to leadership skill and effectiveness. Of course individuals play a role and must assume some level of responsibility for their own satisfaction. But the reality is that it is up to us – right or wrong – to lead effectively, intelligently and passionately and as such inspire our teams to work in kind. The top reasons listed for disloyalty in CareerBuilder.com’s survey were: “I don’t feel my employer values me” (61%); “My efforts are not recognized or appreciated” (52%); “My employer doesn’t pay enough” (51%); and “Not enough career advancement opportunities” (44%). These are all issues over which we as leaders exercise a tremendous amount of control and influence. It is critical that we manage these areas purposefully and proactively.
We have to connect with our teams; our success depends on it. Michael Stallard captures the concept well, stating that “Unless the people in an organization have a strong sense of connection – a bond that promotes trust, cooperation, and esprit de corps – they will never reach their potential as individuals, and the organization will never reach its potential.” He suggests that we:
- Make a human connection with as many people as possible
- Treat and speak to employees as partners
- Help employees find the right roles
- Educate, inform, and listen to employees
- Decentralize decision making
- Recognize the human need for work/life balance
How are you encouraging loyalty in your teams? What are your retention rates and trends? When our teams are feeling invested, the end results extend far beyond individual performance. Beware: the converse is also true. Lead with passion and purpose to ensure engagement and long term satisfaction.
Nina Nets It Out: While we can’t fully control the decisions individuals will make, we can be mindful of the dynamics that foster satisfaction and retention, and proactively employ them with our teams. Inspiring loyalty isn’t difficult, but it does require awareness and commitment. Doing so will profit everyone in the end. Be sure to help all of your village members actively manage their careers.
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This past week, I had the good fortune to attend the 19th Annual Conference of The Professional BusinessWomen of California conference. According to the organization, “The annual conference is PBWC’s main forum for women leaders to mentor and role model, foster upward career mobility and gain instant access to a large network of other professionals.”
For certain, the conference was a great networking opportunity with leaders from all professions in attendance and on the speaking platform. Some of the more notable speakers included Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State of the United States; Cokie Roberts, a political commentator for ABC News and National Public Radio; Jackie Speier, the newly-elected Congresswoman representing the 12th District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives and founder of the Professional BusinessWomen of California; Martha Beck, a life coach and columnist for O:The Oprah Magazine; and numerous other leaders from businesses in a myriad of fields. It was a thoroughly enjoyable conference and I was delighted to attend.
A particular highlight for me was Martha Beck’s keynote presentation. She spoke about focusing on “doing what makes you happy” which is the core message of her recent book Steering by Starlight: Find Your Right Life No Matter What! As I am always on the go, it is great to have someone like Martha offer a moment within which to reflect about what makes one happy. Too many people get caught up in the routine of daily living and lose sight of what makes them truly fulfilled. They become desensitized to the world around them and march through life like robots carrying out their daily chores. To have had the chance to hear this remarkable woman’s story and message, was a great way to start the day – thinking about what makes me content in life.
One particularly remarkable thing about Martha is that when she was pregnant with her son, her doctors informed her that, without question, her baby had Down’s Syndrome and recommended that she abort the pregnancy. She chose to have her baby despite the advice of many others because, as she stated, people with Down’s Syndrome can certainly be happy. Knowing full well the burdens that come along with having a special needs child, she decided to have her son. He has been the source of so much inspiration in her life that she has never looked back with anything but joy.
Fortunately, I have a life that I truly love. Like everyone, I have good days and bad days, but without question, my family, my company, my job, my “village” and the opportunities afforded me sincerely make me happy. It is not often we get to take such a moment to think about such things … I mean really think about them. This conference gave me that chance, as well as the opportunity to meet many interesting, accomplished people. I look forward to attending the 20th and beyond.
Nina nets it out: Conferences such as this allow for networking opportunities that our busy schedules don’t often permit. Don’t pass up such opportunities as the doors that can be opened from chance meetings that can occur at such events are potentially rewarding. Please take a moment to share things that make you happy. ]]>
Since the 1970s in the U.K. and the 1980s in the U.S., the phrase “work-life balance” has been used to shine a spotlight on presumably unhealthy behaviors of working men and women as it relates to the neglect of families, friends, personal time and the like in favor of work-related activities. Many studies of this issue have shown that women, in particular, are plagued by this seemingly inherent conflict, especially when children/families are involved. As someone who has been in the professional workforce for the entirety of the “work-life balance” debate, I must admit that I have never really agreed with the entire notion. In fact, I don’t even view it as a “work-life balance” but rather as a “life continuum”.
As Tara Weiss of Forbes stated in her article How Extreme Is Your Job? last February, “To get ahead, a 70-hour work week is the new standard. What little spare time is left is often divvied up among relationships, kids and sleep.” However, the article went on to say that “workers were themselves to blame …”, as “64% of those surveyed said their wo rk pressures are self-inflicted … Many of the people interviewed for the study say they love their jobs and are reluctant to lessen their work load.”
Quite simply, our lives consist of many things, all of which must be completed in the 24 hour per day limit. And while there are clearly times where work-related responsibilities demand more of those 24 hours in any given day, there are also times where personal matters do. As a manager, I have always adhered to a philosophy which empowers those around me to find the “right” place on their respective life continuum – manage the outcome, not the process. In short, this means that so long as the necessary outcome is provided when it is needed, how and when it gets accomplished is of no interest.
What managing to outcomes demonstrates to those around me is that I have the faith and trust in them to meet their responsibilities. If ever these individuals require assistance in achieving their respective deliverables, they are fully empowered to solicit support from those required. So, if they need to work late one night or on a weekend day every once in a while, by the same token, they might decide to sleep in on a Tuesday, work from home on a Thursday or take their family to Disneyland on a Wednesday. They just need to make sure their outcomes are ready when they are needed!
Do you have challenges balancing all of your responsibilities from work, family, friends, and personal time? Let me hear about how you go about keeping it all together!
Nina nets it out: Focusing on the “balance” part of the work-life balance can keep us all feeling on edge. Maintaining a focus on outcomes allows leaders to responsibly manage their many competing priorities that form part of life’s continuum. ]]>