| Employees want to know where they stand. It is | | | | 3. Learning and development: It is important to |
| the job of leaders to provide feedback and | | | | offer trainings and learning opportunities. Effective |
| create a culture where in the moment feedback | | | | organizations are now hiring coaches to help |
| is modeled and encouraged. | | | | workers develop their strengths and to become |
| I am currently working with an executive | | | | more of who they are. |
| coaching client who wants to improve his | | | | Working with a coach involves encouraging them |
| emotional intelligence. As part of the process we | | | | to know themselves. As they come to better |
| are incorporating multi-rater 360 degree feedback. | | | | understand who they are, they can see |
| In my interviews with raters, it is clear that some | | | | opportunities for growth in the company, utilizing |
| of the raters view my client as entitled, | | | | their strengths and talents. As they move |
| sometimes disrespectful and always seeing her | | | | forward in their self-knowledge, they can look for |
| priorities as more important than that of others. | | | | places within the company where their talents are |
| My client has blind spots related to these | | | | a good fit. |
| behaviors. She is open to feedback to get better. | | | | 4. Having a best friend at work: This is a key |
| However, her co-workers are not comfortable | | | | element in why people choose to stay at a job, |
| having a conversation with my client about the | | | | even in the face of other dissatisfactions. In the |
| behaviors they observe. The boss of my client | | | | best workplaces, managers recognize that |
| likes to leave well enough alone and models not | | | | employees want to forge quality relationships with |
| having difficult conversations unless absolutely | | | | their co-workers and that company loyalty can be |
| necessary. The culture reflects this mind-set. | | | | built from such relationships. Developing trusting |
| Are you comfortable giving and receiving | | | | relationships with your coworkers provides a |
| feedback? | | | | significant emotional compensation for employees. |
| The following four elements have been proven to | | | | While organizations pay close attention to the |
| be effective in creating employee loyalty: praise | | | | loyalty workers may feel toward the company, |
| and recognition, a sense of contribution to the | | | | the best employers recognize that loyalty also |
| company, learning and development, and having a | | | | exists among workers to each other. Great |
| best friend at work. | | | | managers allow time and opportunity for these |
| 1. Praise and recognition: It has been said that no | | | | relationships to flourish. |
| news is good news, but for managers interested | | | | Managers know that they need to attract and |
| in keeping the best workers, this is not true. For | | | | retain talented people in order to succeed in the |
| workers, not getting any feedback is tantamount | | | | competitive workplace. And they also have to find |
| to being ignored: it leads to complacency. | | | | ways to get workers to improve performance. |
| Workplaces that ignore performance will destroy | | | | People usually do not think of themselves as |
| the very human spirit that makes the true | | | | performers, but as individuals with certain |
| difference in quality output and service delivery. | | | | strengths and talents. Workers must know that |
| Positive recognition is often thought of as coming | | | | the manager cares about them on a human level |
| strictly from supervisors or managers, but studies | | | | before they are going to be motivated to make |
| have found that employees also value praise and | | | | extra efforts. |
| recognition from peers. Co-workers know the | | | | There is no one-size-fits all retention formula. Here |
| particulars of a job and when they give good | | | | are some of the ingredients: |
| feedback it can be more meaningful. | | | | 1. Honest communications in all directions |
| What can a manager do to help foster this? Model | | | | 2. Supervisors who invite workers into all facets |
| the appropriate way to give frequent praise and | | | | of work and help them to see the big picture, |
| recognition. Working with a coach will help develop | | | | that is, the corporate value of their contributions |
| appropriate and effective feedback skills. | | | | 3. Workplaces that encourage experimentation |
| 2. A sense of contribution to the company: | | | | and learning. |
| Excellence only happens when people have a | | | | There is a great need to engage and enable the |
| deeply felt sense of purpose in their lives. Human | | | | hearts, minds, and yes, even the soul of people at |
| beings want to know they make a difference. | | | | work. This engagement is far more important |
| Organizations need to let employees know how | | | | than bonuses, perks and even chair massages. It |
| their job and their performance is important to | | | | is primordial to retaining talented people. |
| the overall success of the company. There must | | | | Working with a seasoned executive coach trained |
| be an alignment of the personal reasons | | | | in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership |
| employees have for being there and the purpose | | | | assessments such as the BarOn EQi and CPI 260 |
| of the job. It is more exciting to share a mission | | | | can help you become a more inspiring leader who |
| rather than to simply accomplish a task. | | | | creates a retention culture . You can become a |
| What can a manager do to increase this sense of | | | | leader who models emotional intelligence and social |
| meaning? Involve the workers in other aspects of | | | | intelligence, and who inspires people to become |
| the company. Take them to meetings, let them | | | | happily engaged with the strategy and vision of |
| know about what is going on in the company in | | | | the company. |
| other departments and teams. | | | | |