Employee Attrition Issues?

Employees want a say in deciding the type of work they do,
and whether it’s done virtually or in person.

Are you experiencing staffing issues?  Are resignation volumes higher than normal? If yes, you’re not alone as this seems to be an across-the-board situation regardless of the industry you work in.

Having a desirable work culture is not new, nor is the need to keep satisfaction levels high.  What has changed for many is being called back into an “in person” work mode; working virtually for many was initially a difficult transition, but once the adjustment was made, it became the preferred work mode.  It also, in some cases, became required due to childcare and other family needs.

WorkingFortune Magazine’s Teuila Hanson shares that “employees are happiest when they get to choose where, when, and how they work, with many leaving their existing roles or passing on new roles that don’t provide flexibility.”

As leaders, how much latitude do you have to offer flexibility in the workplace? Can you provide your team members with options regarding where and when they work? Bottom line, we need to know how our employees are feeling and how they view their job. It’s also essential to understand their preferred work mode and the kind of assignments that motivate and inspire them.

So, what’s a good starting point to measure how team members feel? Utilize Gallup’s engagement survey and ask:

  1. I know what is expected of me at work.
  2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
  3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
  4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
  5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
  6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
  7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
  8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
  9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
  10. I have a best friend at work.
  11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
  12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
  13. I have flexibility to work from home or in the office.

Employees want a say about their career and flexibility is a must. Use the results from this survey so you better understand how team members are feeling and change what you can to improve productivity and reduce attrition.

If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing.—Will Rogers

What’s Your Dream?

VISION = A dream or aspiration that provides direction and guides us to a place far away.

This week the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. was remembered and honored. His dream was to end inequality and provide the same rights granted to whites to blacks. This was, and is, a dream that continues to be pursued.

All of us don’t have the magnitude of this type of vision, but what’s yours? What is your dream? What are your aspirations?

PeopleTek’s Vision is to Create Worldwide, Individual, Team and Organizational Excellence. This vision has been a constant since PeopleTek was created in 1996. (Yes, we’re going into our 26th year!). We frequently talk about our Vision with the PeopleTek coaches and members of our operations team, and we link our goals and stress behaviors that support this.

Things to remember or consider:

  • As a leader, what dream or aspiration do you have for yourself and for your organization?
  • Visions are not always attainable, but the intent is to provide direction and focus our attention on making strides towards making our dream reality.
  • What values do you want your team (and you) to live by?
  • What do you want your team (and you) to be known for?

Don’t think in terms of what’s possible and what is not, rather think about that dream and write down how you envision it.

  • What does it look like?
  • What does it feel like?
  • What words help you describe it, share it, and make it feel real?

Sometimes creating a vision requires thinking outside the box. Think about the line of work you’re in, consider the value you provide your customers and how it could grow, assess what processes or actions could be improved upon, and build the necessary relationships so that dream may be fulfilled. Dream big – if you had unlimited resources (budget and personnel), what would you change and how would you change it?

Remember, your dream is a desired destination, not a state of “here and now”.

Let us know if we can help!

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.
–Warren Bennis

New Year. New Chapter. New Goals.

The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.
— Melody Beattie

New Year. New Chapter. New Goals.

Some of us have started writing our 2022 goals, others have completed them, and many are still thinking about what they would like to accomplish.

  • As we start the New Year it’s time for reflection. (Yes, we’re saying it again!).
  • What goals were we able to accomplish in 2021?
  • What goals need to be continued into 2022?
  • What barriers existed that prevented goal attainment or made them difficult to achieve?
  • How can we address those barriers? Who can help?
  • Are new skills required that are currently not available?
  • Is there buy-in to support the goals?

Are the right people in the right jobs?If you are having difficulty getting started think about what needs to be done at the granular level. Consider what actions are required, who can support them (and how), and set timeframes.  Some leaders also like to have stretch goals that are difficult to achieve but may inspire some to do more.

Once your goals are documented, cascade them to everyone that can (or is expected) to support attaining them.

It’s also important that each individual understands how they can help achieve the goal. Ex. How can their expertise be utilized? How can they assist “key” players? Expectations and roles need to be clear, and how progress will be measured must be shared.

Here’s a recap for goals.

  • They bring 100 percent clarity to your vision and mission
  • They require action
  • They must include: What, When, How, by Whom with Dates
  • Think in terms of SMART: Specific, Measurable, Actionable/Achievable, Realistic, Timebound

As a leader:

  • How do you make the Goals meaningful to your team and how do you obtain buy-in?
  • How often are Goals reviewed for progress and obstacles addressed that impede success?

    Let us know if we can help!

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.
–Earl Nightingale

Desmond Tutu – A Global Legacy

Archbishop Tutu is an exemplary model of leadership and his record challenging apartheid
in South Africa is testimony of his courageous and moral leadership.
–The Board of Lifelong Leadership Institute (LLI)

Archbishop Desmond Tutu made an impact on the world. The Board of Lifelong Leadership Institute sums his life up by simply saying “he was an exemplary model of leadership”.

He was best known for addressing the inequities of apartheid, and he was applauded for his  leadership style and abilities which included:

  • moral values
  • courage
  • activism
  • integrity
  • clarity
  • persistence
  • compassion
  • cooperation
  • inclusiveness

Archbishop Tutu leaves behind a very impressive global legacy. He was an equal rights activist and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, he became the first black Archbishop of Capetown, he was appointed head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (which investigated human rights violations), and he was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He was also part of “The Elders”, a group of senior and former world leaders that continued the efforts to promote peace. Other members included Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, and Mary Robinson.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson shared that Archbishop Tutu would be “remembered for his spiritual leadership and irrepressible good humor.”

Chances are as leaders we won’t have a legacy that is recognized and applauded globally, but even impacting a few makes a difference. What will your leadership legacy include?

Do your little bit of good where you are;
it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
–Desmond Tutu