Strategic Discipline Blog

When do managers ask, “What can I do to keep you?”

The answer of course is always when they notify you that they’re leaving.

Beverly Kay suggests ask people what you can do to keep them before they’re ready to leave.

Why don’t we ask before they’re ready to leave?  Too frequently it’s we’re afraid of what they will say.    Is that true for you?  Do you want to keep your best employees?

The question she recommended asking is, “Why do you stay?”

She recommended choosing one of three ways to ask this question:

1. What about your job makes you jump out of bed in the morning?  In conjunction with this question, ask; What makes you press the snooze button?
2. If you won the lottery and resigned what you miss the most?
3. If you went back to a position in the past that you loved, what would it be?  Why?

Follow this one question up with, “What can I do to keep you?  Or, “What would entice you to stay?”

Why do your employees leave?   A bad boss is the number one reason why employees quit their job according to Beverly and Top 10 Reasons Why Employees Quit Their Job.

What Beverly’s discovered is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  Employees won’t stay if they don’t grow.  They want self-actualization.  They prefer to develop right where they are. 

Take a few seconds and look at the picture. 

Did you read it as Opportunity is No Where, or Opportunity is Now Here?

Many of your employees are opportunity blinded.  Some may go to their peers and ask, but most are missing the opportunities that you have to offer for them to grow and reach their potential.  It’s a great conversation to have with your people frequently.  Let them know about the opportunities that exist within your company. 

Have a career discussion with your people.  Careers support growth.  Here are five things most employees would like to know:

Know their talent.  What’s so embedded in their DNA that they can do it all the time?

Offer Perspective.  Ask what their peers would say about them.  Get feedback.

Discuss Trends and Implications.  Ask what they see trending, what changes they see the company or industry headed toward.

Suggest Several Options.  Find out what they love doing most.

Collaborate on a Plan.  Where are their opportunities for them to stretch?  Where can they maximize the skills they love now and in the future?

Eighty percent of employees when asked why they really left indicate that the boss was such a jerk they couldn’t stand it any longer.

From a list of 55 characteristics, Beverly listed 12 most common.  The question is which of these are you doing.  In what way are you a jerk to yourself?

These are the 12 jerk behaviors Beverly offered; Demanding, mostly negative feedback, not listening, lack patience, micro manage, criticize, withhold praise, impossible deadlines, not caring, distrusting, blaming, break promises.

Do you see yourself in any of these?

She strongly recommended sharing information. 

Why?  If they don’t get the information what will they do?  Make it up!

Beverly offered one key we’ve discussed here previously.  She emphasized the importance of passion, and encouraging it in your employees.  When the thrill is gone, so are they.  That means whether they physically leave your employment or not.

As managers we need to uncover and discover our employee’s passion.  We need to show our passion.  We need to connect them to a meaningful mission or purpose. 

Beverly left us with a 2+2+2 rule.  Which two members of your team if they left would be hardest to replace?  Which would hurt the most?  When you determine that out, make the effort to ask two questions we discussed above. Choose one of these three questions:

1.  What about your job makes you jump out of bed in the morning?  In conjunction with this question, ask; What makes you press the snooze button?
2. If you won the lottery and resigned what you miss the most?
3. If you went back to a position in the past that you loved, what would it be?  Why?

And then follow it up with, “What can I do to keep you?  Or, “What would entice you to stay?”

The final 2 is do this in the next two weeks.

You may just change one of your top performers minds and get years of loyalty in return. 

For a brief summary on all the speakers at the Las Vegas Growth Summit click here.

Next blog is more from the Growth Summit. 

You have less than a week to register for the Mastering the Rockefeller Habits Four Decision Workshop.  Download the Mastering the Rockefeller Habits Four Decision Workshop flyer.  Register to attend this event next week, November 12th in Cedar Rapids.