Decades ago, there were bosses and their beliefs that employees should be darn glad they have a job and need to do that job right or suffer the wrath. Sadly, I was one of those bosses and it is all that I ever knew. In my first job in High School, the manager of the restaurant told on my second day, “If you’re not an All-star today; leave your apron and never come back here – not even to eat!”
If you are some version of the authoritarian leader building based on perform or perish, you’re likely suffering the consequences of employee attrition and wondering what has gone wrong with the world.
A shift has taken place as illustrated by Fortune’s annual list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” The expectation is that employers create fun, satisfying cultures where team members have opportunities for personal and financial growth. Upon reflection, I appreciate this shift because my dad was not a boss, he was an employee. How he was treated by his managers, the income he made, and the experiences he had at work had a colossal impact on our lives at home. Now when I think about my staff, I think about their health, growth, and every life they touch beyond the work they do with me.
This may sound like soft leadership and it certainly can be. On the contrary, while building a healthy culture it is critical to build an accountable one as well. In fact, the most proven step to job satisfaction is that team members have clear roles and goals. In fact, if they can’t consistently create strategies, set goals, and hit them then you shouldn’t worry about them quitting; they should be let go to find a job they’re good at.
Someone has to have an area of responsibility; including results they are accountable to. Satisfaction, fulfillment, skill development, growth as a leader, and becoming full human all require finding meaning in the work and a way of determining if you’re doing the work successfully. It may seem like someone just wants to punch in, punch out, collect a paycheck, and do minimum work; but that person will eventually quit. What is worse, they quit and they stay.
Fortunately, reducing employee attrition and increasing job satisfaction is a deeply studied area. It costs small companies $10s of 1000s and big ones $10s of millions, along with a whole lot of stress, to manage regular turnover. Here are the critical steps:
1. BUILD A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY: This includes clear roles, KPIs, and goals for each member of the team.
2. OWNERSHIP THINKING MENTALITY: The ideal team member thinks and acts like an owner. This requires CLEAR VISION and the opportunity to COLLABORATE. This collaboration includes setting up the roles and goals for themselves rather than having them simply be thrust upon them with what they believe may be unreasonable expectations.
3. THE REGULAR EMPLOYEE CHECK IN: Asking questions like the below to be able to course correct with a team member that is beginning to feel like this isn’t one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” MOST EMPLOYEES THAT QUIT, HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE!
A. Are you pleased with how things are progressing (in your department, job, in the company, etc.)?
B. Is there some part of what you have on your plate this week that concerns you?
C. Is there anything we could do better to eliminate barriers to reaching your goals?
D. What are you excited about this coming week, month, quarter?
4. PUT THE TEAM FIRST. Put your employees first—ahead of your customers—and your employees will put your customers first. Benefits are important and expected. But GREAT benefits are not always economically viable for startups and small companies. Putting your team first is not just a matter of benefits. You can give, but it doesn’t mean you give a damn. If the team is truly first, you deliver your products or services to them as if they were your most important customer. Bonuses for hitting goals, accolades, and recognition are also vital. You also just can’t say you love them with your mouth, but with your wallet as well.
Have fun saving the world,
Dr. Ben
