Employee Retention: Five Leadership Fundamentals

Are your management practices on the right track? Retaining your valued or high performing employees must be a strategic issue for your company. Throwing more money at your workers is not the answer and can become very costly. The more effective way to retain top talent is to address their important needs.

Universal Truths:

  • Most people are content being paid at or around the market rate for good quality work. SOME folks are extremely money conscious, but eventually they learn that the paycheck comes every two weeks all on its own, and other motivators come into play very quickly. There are very few folks who can be bought for money alone.
  • Most people want two opposing things out of their jobs. They want to feel they are part of a group that's able to accomplish greater things than they could on their own, AND they want to know that they stand out as individuals. The job as a manager is to give them BOTH experiences: to bring about a 'team spirit' and to let his staff or team know what a great job each one is doing.
  • Finally, most employees have a few ongoing needs that motivate them to do their best work and to stay. They include a clear direction of their job or project; specific assignments that help them grow; access to necessary organizational resources, and feedback on their performance on a regular basis. Otherwise, they pretty much want to be left alone to get their job or assignment done.

Five Leadership Fundamentals:
He then realized that his job as manager became very simple. To motivate high performance and, at the same time, ensure employee satisfaction within his group, he just needed to:

  • Provide employees with a clear sense of where we're going and why.
  • Make sure they have the necessary resources to get their job done.
  • Be attuned to their professional needs and try to provide them with assignments that meet these needs (not always easy but still attainable).
  • Regularly meet with them both formally and informally to give and get feedback on what's going on.
  • Get out of their way and, at the same time, be available when needed.
  • He ended with this comment: "I don't have long-term results to share, but in the short-run, I have a staff that reports being happy in their jobs and challenged by the work. And our group has a better reputation for service than the rest of the large department we are part of. So I know I'm on the right track."

    This manager's comments reinforce my observations that the primary reason that people commit to a job, an organization, or an effort is not financial! It is the basic feeling of success. The employee who achieves, who accomplishes his or her goals and objectives, who maintains a feeling of personal worth and value, will more likely remain with the organization.

    Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ­ to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ­ resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ­ fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

    In The News:


    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    What Makes a Crisis a Crisis?

    If you're old enough and were living in America about... Read More

    Strategic Outsourcing: Testing the Outsourcing Waters and Staying Afloat

    Before Gertrude Ederle began her historic swim off of Cape... Read More

    Choices in Appointing International Managers

    Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how... Read More

    Five Steps to Increase the People Power in Your Business

    Take some bold steps and help your employees and business... Read More

    You Didnt Use Brainstorming to Select Your Measures, Did You?

    IntroductionWhen Alex Osborn invented the creativity technique called brainstorming, I... Read More

    Increase Productivity: Five Powerful Actions

    How can you make the best use of your energy... Read More

    Creativity and Innovation Management: Generating Better Ideas

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

    Project Heroes

    Project heroes. We've all heard of them. Some of us... Read More

    Looking through the Glass Ceiling - Women in Management

    Women have made tremendous contributions to society at every level;... Read More

    Why Business Owners Need Security

    The main reason is to stop any potential lawsuits from... Read More

    Another Use for Meetings

    Every meeting is a laboratory where you can observe and... Read More

    Is Your Management Style Assisting or Hurting Your Business?

    Many times business owners can have significant differences in management... Read More

    Why You Should Hold One More Meeting

    If you are completely happy with where you and your... Read More

    Creativity and Innovation Management ? Idea Progression

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

    The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - The 4th C: Cumulative Money Problems

    A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that... Read More

    Office Politics

    Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More

    New Job, New Culture: Do You Fit In?

    It seemed like a good decision at the time. A... Read More

    Performance Appraisal Scenarios: Improve Your Communication

    IMPROVING COMMUNICATION DURING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: If the employee has... Read More

    Business & Family Safety and Health Rating

    For good reason, practically every endeavor in life is rated.... Read More

    Innovation Management ? how does the user benefit?

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

    Business is About Making Money

    Ask most people why they are in business and they... Read More

    Training Managers and New Trainers

    Training managers use many of the same interpersonal and analytical... Read More

    Motor Vehicle Policy and Your Employee Risks

    It is becoming more common for employers to require employees... Read More

    Einstein - Definition of Insanity

    Insanity in the Sign & Graphics IndustryEinstein's DefinitionAlbert Einstein once... Read More

    Work Life a Balancing Act

    Australians are loosing their laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue... Read More

    ISO 9001 and Total Quality Management

    Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management, or TQM, has become one... Read More

    Results of Poor Cross Cultural Awareness

    Results of Poor Cross Cultural Awareness. Having a poor understanding... Read More

    How To Jump Start Your Profits and Keep Your Profits Rolling

    There are so many ways to jump start your prifits... Read More

    Personnel Access Poses a Continued Risk

    The Security Consultant's Perspective...Implementing Personnel Security Initiatives should be the... Read More

    Innovation Management ? some ideas are better than others

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

    Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Coworkers Collaborate to Complete Successful Initiative

    This short story, Coworkers Collaborate to Complete Successful Initiative, was... Read More

    Are You Using the Right Form of Energy?

    As we near the end of summer, here is a... Read More

    Uncommon Common Sense ? Know What is the Most Important Thing in Your Business

    Over 3 of my meetings with 3 business owners last... Read More