Resigned to the Resignation?

Your valued staff member tells you they’re leaving. You’re horrified. It’s like a break up and you didn’t see it coming.

It’s not you, it’s them. It’s family. It’s money. It’s to leave and save the world. It’s to follow a new career path. It’s conflicts with workmates. It’s to go back and study. It’s because they’re not being challenged. It’s because the role isn’t what they thought it would be.

The reasons they may give you for their (in your opinion untimely departure) are endless. Confusingly – the real reason may be something different all together!

The simplest solution is when the answer they tell you is money based, and you’re able to match the competing offer. So you’d think. But happy staff members don’t just uproot their entire career based lives for a little more money. There’s usually another reason more deeply imbedded.

What I find interesting is what many employers trying to stop the situation from happening default to assuming it’s a monetary motivation. When all else fails – throw some more cash at the person.

Which is great… unless you get a person whose primary motivation isn’t money. Then not only do you lose a staff member, but you’re confused as to why your strategy didn’t work, and they leave confirmed in their decision that you didn’t understand who they were as a person.

So what are some other answers?

Well – you could try and find out what motivates your team already? There will be some that are really dollar driven and monetary incentives and bonuses will work a treat to keep them happy now. There will be others that will adore your new initiative to let them take a day off each year to work in a charity or to have time off to donate blood. There’s those who you will keep forever with a kind word. Who are your team? What can you do proactively to make their journey with your company the best it can be?

By Anonymous with 3 comments

Speaking on Success

One of my fabulous, inspirational, successful, wonderful girlfriends just left my house. Embarking on her first speaking gig tomorrow we spent the last hour going over her talk and embracing all the amazing-ness that is her.

What I find especially funny – is that she’s not even sure if the organization that’s having her speak tomorrow has gotten it “right”. By that – she knows they want someone to come and talk about their success, but she’s not sure if she fits the bill!

Let’s see… she’s a multiple business owner, at the top of her field in two disciplines, she’s an award winner, a property investor, an amazing mother, a dedicated wife and she’s about to journey into yet another passion of hers very soon taking a big leap into the unknown.

In short – she rocks.

And she baulked at the idea of them even putting her down as a “business woman” on the program.

Her story tomorrow, for those 40 women lucky enough to hear her will be real, honest, engaging and inspiring and as much as they deserve to hear it – she deserves to tell it. Thank you for inspiring me Cathryn – love you! 

By Anonymous with No comments

Better the devil you know?

Short of being a classic hrm… debatable – let’s say memorable Kylie Minogue song from my childhood – I was reminded of this saying this week when I heard of someone who had been made an offer to change workplaces.

The dollars were being offered in abundance, the appeal was clear.

Only – what else comes with the dollars? It’s hard to tell from an offer made on a piece of paper. What’s your new boss going to be like when you have an issue or conflict or need guidance? How are you going to interact with your new workmates? What clientele will you be inheriting to deal with?

And if you do decide to change workplaces, are you able to transition in a way that’s both fair and reasonable to you and your goals and ambitions and to the people who’ve previously employed you? To quote another oft used saying – will you burn bridges as you go?

By Anonymous with No comments

Can you take it on the chin?

I think you can tell a lot about someone by how they handle criticism. Today at work I sent an email out to everyone because we’d had three similar instances handled poorly in the one week.

The first reply from one staff member (even though we’d already personally spoken about it and she’d already apologized) was to again apologise.

My reply: “It's not just you - that's why the email went out to everyone”

Again – she reiterated her apology and that she felt bad and would make a new day of it tomorrow.

My reply (in knowing the message had sunk in and trying to lift the mood):

I get stuff wrong pretty much every day.

Which means I learn stuff pretty much every day.

Which means pretty much every day - I'm more awesome than I was the day before!

Her reply:

You are such a star! You have an amazing way about you of wanting me to be the best I can be just to make you proud and see I am learning from my mistakes. 

Thank you, Thank you.

What more could I ask for? The message hasn’t been lost. She’s taken the feedback well. She’s called me a star (ok a little flattery will get you everywhere). But most importantly she’s understood that we all make mistakes (me very much included) and that if we get feedback on how to get better it’s so we can learn from our mistakes. 

By Anonymous with No comments