We have been talking about retention lately – one of the greatest hurdles of the modern corporate manager.

You know the pain of turnover. It’s hurting your morale; it’s slowing the process down; and it’s costing you, too. In fact, voluntary turnover is costing businesses so much money, I had to double check how many zeros were in the number! (It’s twelve zeros in $1 trillion, in case you were wondering.)

The pressure to solve a problem on that scale can present an intimidating challenge – but all it takes is a bit of expanded perspective.

I only know what it’s like to be me – that’s my limited perspective. Yours is that you only know what it’s like to be you. And because that is the only perspective we have ever had, we naturally assume everyone else is like us – thinks like us, works like us, likes like us.

We see our team members showing up day after day, sitting in meetings, working at their desks, collaborating, communicating, and bringing their talents together to mobilize the mission of our organization. And we believe they are there for the same reasons we are.

But oh – how wrong we are!

Everyone who walks into a restaurant has one thing in common: they are hungry. But do they all order the same thing?

Everyone who visits the doctor has one thing in common: a medical concern. But do they all get the same treatment?

Your team works together toward your organization’s strategic goals, but they are not all at work for the same reason. They are not all energized by one motivator. Their unique interests align at your place of work.

And when you are able to engage them uniquely at their own points of interest, you unlock a whole new level of investment from them.

How do you find out what they’re passionate about?

One of the tools that brings my clients the most success is the Maxwell Leadership and Communication Assessment. In the span of a few directed questions, you can gain a world of insight about what excites your team members, where they thrive, what they need, and what they have to offer – all on an individual level.

It’s like a window into each team member’s untapped potential.

When you get to know your employees in such detail, you’re able to make sure that…

…each team member is operating in their area of strength.

Sometimes, we have all the right pieces to the puzzle – they’re just not in the right spots.

Anyone can come alive in their lane. But it is not always readily apparent which lane some of your team members belong in. Once you know their strengths and their interests, you can position them for success – yours and theirs.

…each team member is being motivated in a way that actually motivates them.

Some cars use petrol; others, diesel. Some are electric. In order to get anywhere, each car needs the substance that actually makes it run!

Not all of your employees are inspired by the company’s vision, and not all of them are purely money-motivated, either. Some might be in their role because of the schedule flexibility. Some might love the benefits package. Some might value their task list; some might just love the people in your office!

Whatever reason they have for coming to work, connecting that precious thing to your organization’s strategic goals is where real progress gets made. 

…each team member is protected from demotivational factors.

Let me say this first: remove all demotivational factors, including universal ones. If you hear your team complaining about something more than once, it is a morale-killer and a turnover trigger.

But of course, some demotivational factors are personal. When you remove the things that discourage or frustrate your top performers individually, you show that you value them individually. 

And that personal connection is the only foolproof retention strategy I know of.

If you’re looking for other ways to keep your top talent in-house, I have compiled some of my best strategies for retaining top performers in this free guide. I spent several years in Volvo and Renault coordinating teams for projects, and these approaches helped me keep my teams – and my leaders – happy :)

That’s all for now.

Until next time,

Florin

P.S. Let me know if you’d like more information on the Maxwell Leadership and Communication Assessment – I still offer those!