Employee Relations – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Talking Up Feedback

Posted September 16, 2020
by admin

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw

A story is told of a man who dialed a wrong number by mistake and got the following recording, “I am not available right now, but I thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.” Talk about your not so subtle message.

Employee engagement and the manner in which you communicate as a leader is essential to the success of your organization. It matters now more than ever especially during this time of remote work that so many are still participating in.

One of the barriers to good communication and employee retention is found in the ability of your people to not only receive good feedback but also in their ability to give it. Click To TweetThis was pointed out recently in a TinyPulse article regarding employee retention.

In the article, it was brought out that employees that don’t feel comfortable in giving upward feedback are 16% less likely to stay at their companies. It went on to say that while 60% of employees have a way to provide feedback about their employee experience, only 30% said that their feedback is acted upon. And this is where change can and should occur.

As a leader, you know how important your workplace culture is to your overall success. You also know that the way in which you provide feedback to your people is equally important. But feedback is only as effective as each person’s ability to receive it and give it.

What is the ultimate benefit to the health of your organization if the only feedback given is top-down? What purpose does this serve and in what realistic way do you think you benefit as a leader if your people do not have a regular means of talking to you?

Here are four simple tips to consider for the benefit of everyone as you think about employee engagement and employee retention.

Be intentional

You must make it known that you are always available to talk with anyone who wants that opportunity. But you need to do more than just provide lip service. Give specific times and days when you make yourself available for conversations and not just ask for feedback in writing. Many things get lost in translation. Have an open-door policy and make it known.

Be receptive

If you really want the feedback to mean something, be receptive to what you hear. Listen with an open mind and try not to be defensive. Listen to what your people have to say with the understanding that this is likely not easy for them. But when the conversation is over your people need to leave with the confidence that they were heard and respected.

Be responsive

The worst thing that can happen is for one of your people to come and give feedback and feel that they have been dismissed or not taken seriously. Be responsive to their feedback and listen with an open mind. Typically, those closest to the problem or concern have the greatest sense of clarity regarding the issue. Click To Tweet Listen respectfully and respond accordingly.

Be appreciative

As mentioned already, giving upward feedback may not be the most comfortable thing your people do so don’t make it any harder for them. Be appreciative of the fact that your people are invested enough to come to you. It means that they care.

Final Thoughts

Just as loyalty is a two-way street, so too is feedback. And while not every idea or concern is something that you can address or satisfy to their liking, you can set a positive tone in your organization by being a leader who listens.

Employee engagement and retention is up to you. If your people do not believe that they are being taken seriously or are valued then they will find a place where they are.

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How Indecisive Leaders Hurt Morale

Posted July 8, 2020
by admin

Indecision may or may not be my problem – Jimmy Buffett

A story is told of former president Ronald Reagan once had an aunt who took him to a cobbler for a pair of new shoes. The cobbler asked young Reagan, “Do you want square toes or round toes?” Unable to decide, Reagan didn’t answer, so the cobbler gave him a few days.

Several days later the cobbler saw Reagan on the street and asked him again what kind of toes he wanted on his shoes. Reagan still couldn’t decide, so the shoemaker replied, “Well, come by in a couple of days. Your shoes will be ready.” When the future president did so, he found one square-toed and one round-toed shoe! “This will teach you to never let people make decisions for you,” the cobbler said to his indecisive customer. “I learned right then and there,” Reagan said later, “if you don’t make your own decisions, someone else will.”

Indecisive leadership is a crippling character trait for leaders. When your organization needs clear direction and decisive action, a waffling leader can cause more harm than good.

With so much at stake, why do leaders waffle and struggle with decision making? Three primary reasons come to mind.

They lack clarity

Leaders who struggle with decision making may lack the necessary clarity needed to make the necessary decision. Rather than making the wrong decision, they make no decision at all.

They lack confidence

In some situations, leaders withhold decision making because they are not confident enough in their own instincts. Rather than take a risk and make a decision, they play it safe and everyone is left dangling.

They lack consensus

In some cases, leaders withhold decision making because they don’t have a consensus on the best path forward. Rather than offend a few with a decision, the leader demoralizes everyone by not making one.

So what is a leader to do? How can a leader overcome this agonizing dilemma? Here are a few ideas.

Trust your instincts

A confident leader will trust his or her instincts in times of decision. Deep down you have a strong intuition that guides you. Trust it.

Invite input

Decisive leaders are informed leaders. Those most affected by your decisions should be the first at the table of discussion. As it’s been said, “the person who sweeps the floor should choose the broom”. Welcome input, but make your decisions on principle, not politics.

Clarify your values

The worst thing you can do as a leader is to make a decision for the sake of making one. Roy Disney was right when he said, “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier”. When making a decision make sure it aligns with your values. If not, don’t do it.

Check your motives

First and foremost in your decision making should be what’s best for your organization and people. If you are making decisions to gain popularity or to gain favor with some to the detriment of others you are sowing the seeds of low morale. You must have the best interest of the team at heart and not just a few.

Final Thoughts

Leadership is about making hard decisions. Indecisive leaders make it harder–on themselves and those they lead. Your path forward begins by acknowledging what your indecisive tendencies are doing to your leadership and how it’s impacting the morale of those you lead.

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Moving From Buy-In to Engagement: Why Buy-In May Not Be Enough

Posted March 11, 2020
by admin

None of us is as smart as all of us. – Ken Blanchard

In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell devotes a chapter to Law 14 – The Law of Buy-In. In it he states, “People don’t at first follow worthy causes. They follow worthy leaders who promote worthwhile causes. People buy into the leader first, then the leader’s vision.” This statement is profoundly true, simple, and complicated all at the same time.

Many leaders and many more organizations work diligently on buy-in. We aren’t knocking it, we understand that without it, you’re dead in the water. But making the transition from buy-in to engagement can be difficult.

Here’s what we know. The latest 2019 Employee Engagement Report from TINYpulse found that employee loyalty is decreasing. 43% of workers would be willing to leave their companies for a 10% salary increase. A staggering 44% of employees don’t feel they have sufficient opportunities for professional growth in their current position. Less than one-third of people believe they have a strong culture.

We can’t say enough about the importance of buy-in. It means so much for so many reasons. But without active engagement, everything else is in jeopardy. With this in mind, we have identified four essentials that we believe are necessary for engagement.

Purpose

The hardest task for you as a leader is to get the buy-in. Selling the ‘why’ to a prospective team member or client puts your vision to the test every time. And, the truth be told, before they buy into the vision, they buy into you as a leader. Oftentimes the crisis of buy-in is not about the organization or product, it’s the leadership.

Everyone is searching for meaning and purpose. People thrive when they feel their work is meaningful. This meaning is not found in the work itself, it is found in connecting their work to a purpose larger than themselves. Your ‘why’, as a leader, provides purpose and direction that gives those who follow you something to believe in. It appeals to others on an emotional level and makes work feel less like work and more like a purpose. People will be more engaged when they buy into your leadership and are excited about the work they are doing. Click To Tweet

Communication

Once buy-in has been achieved, now the real work begins. How do you harness the momentum that buy-in gives you and turn it into action steps that advance you? We believe communication is essential and that it should take place on a regular basis.

American psychologist, Rollo May, believed that “Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing.” This sense of community fosters an environment where others feel safe to collaborate, cooperate, and compromise. Effective leaders use conversations to build connections, convey information, share stories and thoughts, and to encourage questions. Click To Tweet These connections form trusting relationships that earn a commitment from others. The safety and inclusion of the relationships built on open communication enhance engagement.

Coaching

We believe that engagement is the life-blood of your organization. With that in mind, it must not only be communicated regularly, but it must also be given priority. With this in mind, ownership must be taken at all levels and coaching is critical to how it’s done.

Successful leaders play the role of coach and supporter with an emphasis on helping others succeed. They invest their time and resources into building others up. We are drawn to those who want the best for us and will use their strengths to help us achieve our goals. Your employees are more likely to become fully engaged when they know that you will always be there to offer support and catch them if they fall.

Accountability

Engagement is not hard to measure, but we believe you must keep your finger on the pulse of your organization at all times. The time to find out about issues that impact your people and their performance is not at the end of the year; by then it’s too late. Click To Tweet

Accountability boils down to taking ownership of one’s own thoughts, words, actions, and reactions. One of the greatest keys to accountability is the level of control people feel they possess over their work. When employees are in control of the “what, when, and how” of a decision or action, their ownership and accountability skyrockets. As a result of taking ownership of their work, people will become more engaged.

At the end of the day, worthy leaders are the ones who effectively lay out their vision and get others to buy into that vision. Successful leaders are able to encourage others to move beyond buy-in to becoming fully engaged in their work. Engaged employees have a sense of purpose and know that they are making a difference. They feel safe and included because of open and ongoing communication. They feel supported by a leader who serves as a coach. And, they feel a sense of ownership and accountability for their work.

Final Thoughts

Lay a strong foundational culture for your employees by deliberately sharing a meaningful purpose, building relationships through open communication, serving as a supportive coach, and giving them control and accountability for their work. This foundation will move you from buy-in to engagement. And, active engagement is the key to success.

To learn more about Liz Stincelli visit her website at https://www.stincelliadvisors.com/

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The Value of Recognition

Posted February 24, 2020
by admin

Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition. – Abraham Lincoln

I read a story about a man who attended a lecture on the importance of showing appreciation to the important people in your life. Mike decided to start with his wife. So after work that night on his way home, he bought her a dozen long-stemmed red roses, a box of chocolates, and a pair of earrings. He smiled with self-satisfaction as he contemplated surprising his wife and showing her how much he appreciated her.

He stood at the front door with the roses and gifts in hand and rang the doorbell. His wife came and opened it, and stared at him for a long minute. Suddenly she burst into tears. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“It’s been the worst day of my life,” she answered. “First, Johnny tried to flush his diaper down the toilet. Then Kevin melted a plastic airplane in the oven. Then the dishwasher clogged and overflowed all over the kitchen floor. Then Jessica came home from school with a note from the teacher saying that she beat up a boy in her class. And now you come home drunk?”

Despite our best efforts, sometimes showing our appreciation doesn’t always go according to plan. It can be awkward to express and sometimes misinterpreted.

But in the workplace, let’s make sure that we understand that recognition is important. It’s what TINYpulse refers to as the secret sauce of employee engagement.

In the report, they state, “Providing recognition for excellent work is one of the best things an organization can do to maintain employee engagement”. Yet, according to the report, “only one in three people feel they were well-recognized the last time they went the extra mile at work.”

The report states that when asked more broadly about how valued people feel at work, the results we just as bleak. Only 26% of employees report feeling valued at work. This is outweighed by the 33% of people who actually feel undervalued.

If you are concerned at all about employee engagement in your workplace, you must make recognition a priority. Click To Tweet

Here are a few reasons why it matters.

Recognition matters because your people matter

It’s just this simple. And because they matter they should be recognized for the excellent work they do. I know for many in leadership the unspoken attitude may sound something like “their paycheck is all the recognition they need,” but not so fast.

According to the same TINYpulse report, 43% would leave for a 10% salary increase, up from 25% last year. If just a 10% salary increase is all it takes for an employee to leave, perhaps more recognition is in order for them to stay.

Recognition matters because your culture matters

Imagine if you will what it would be like to be in a workplace culture that is thriving, producing, and where recognition abounds for all the hard work. Culture is contagious. And a thriving workplace culture creates a momentum that is hard to beat. Click To Tweet

To be sure, no workplace is perfect even in the best of environments. But it’s easier to tackle the issues that challenge your workplace culture when your people feel valued and appreciated. Recognition plays a huge role in making that happen.

Recognition matters because your reputation matters

In the TINYpulse survey, there is a gap in how managers perceive culture and how employees perceive it. That should not come as a surprise. The survey states, “leaders make or break motivation within their team.” And this is where recognition can work to your benefit.

If your people do not feel valued or respected, then everything else you do comes across as disingenuous. Click To TweetRecognition is given to what is valued. If your people are not recognized, then it is obvious to them that they are not valued. Like it or not, your reputation as a leader is being defined on how you treat your people.

Final Thoughts

Employee engagement is critical to your success as a leader. Recognizing your people for their hard work, sacrifices, and contributions ought to come as natural to you as breathing. Recognition matters that much.

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How To Defeat A Culture Of Apathy

Posted May 12, 2019
by admin

A lot of you cared, just not enough. – Jay Asher

Data from Gallup has confirmed what many have known for some time – employee engagement in the workplace is suffering. When only 32% are engaged in their work then we have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Simply wishing things were different is not enough.

The Conference Board reports that 53% of Americans are unhappy at work. Think for a moment too about the economic impact of disengaged employees on your bottom line. If more than half the people in your organization are not happy, how do you think that affects your future?

An article in shiftboard revealed that disengaged employees are costing you money and affecting your profits. They say, “Each disengaged employee costs you 34% of their salary because of lost productivity, missed shifts, chronic tardiness, and disrupting others by spreading negativity throughout the company”. If not bad enough, the article goes on to say that “actively disengaged employees cost the U.S. $483 billion to $605 billion in lost productivity.”

How much can you afford to lose to disengaged employees? What is an acceptable figure that you are willing to tolerate?

While every organization faces its own cultural challenges as it relates to employee engagement, there is usually one common denominator that can be found in most- apathy.

Apathy, in its simplest definition, is a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. It sets in when your people believe they have no voice, and when they believe that things are not going to get better. Then they get angry.

When any of these characteristics are in play within your organization then you must move quickly to identify it and turn it around. Time is money and your productivity is at stake. Here are a few ways to defeat a culture of apathy.

Promote ownership

As a leader, you must do everything within your power to promote the mission and vision of the organization. It must be out there and repeated often. Never take for granted that because you’ve shared it once they will remember it forever. But, over time, the buy-in will happen as trust is built. However, if you want to fast track employee engagement, then give your people ownership. When people take ownership they will be less apathetic, they will be more invested, and will deliver their best work.

When people work to fulfill your vision it can be a struggle, when they work to fulfill theirs it can be life-changing. Click To Tweet

Promote community

A smart leader understands that there’s no substitute for a community of people within your organization who are known to each as colleagues and not combatants. Apathy becomes an issue when people see each other as combatants – not caring what the other group is doing- when in reality it all matters. A diversity of ideas and opinions is one of your greatest assets. In community, all ideas are welcome. In a community, relationships are coveted over competition and turf wars. In a community, people are held accountable for negative attitudes that would give rise to apathy. Click To Tweet

Good leaders are not just aware of the need for community but insist upon it because they know their existence depends upon it.

Promote culture

This is an important piece of the puzzle that leaders need to understand. Community is how you get along with one another. It’s the practice of good manners, cordiality, and civility. But your culture is your why. It’s what gives meaning and purpose to what you do.

Your organizational culture is weakened or is breaking down when you hear things like, “I don’t why I bother speaking up, no one listens to me,” or “What difference does it make if I’m late, no one will notice,” or “Why should I care if no one else does,”. How many times have you heard these type of statements? How many times have you used them?

A failure in community creates conflict. A failure in leadership creates apathy. Your organizational community is relationship driven. Your organizational culture is leadership driven.A failure in community creates conflict. A failure in leadership creates apathy. Your organizational community is relationship driven. Your organizational culture is leadership driven. Click To Tweet

As a leader, you need to understand that apathy is the greatest threat to your organization. With apathy there is no ownership, there is no community, and your culture is harmed.

Make it your practice to know the signs of apathy and be intentional in addressing it. It will make a world of difference to your organization.

Check out the link at the top of the page for information on my employee engagement workshop.

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Why Your Employees Stand On The Sidelines

Posted November 11, 2018
by admin

I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. – Jerome K. Jerome

According to Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace, only 33% of full-time employees in the U.S. are engaged at work. The majority of employees are indifferent.

Chances are you know one of these persons. They show up at work. They do their job. Then they go home. They don’t go above and beyond what’s required of them to improve the company or advance its goals.

We’ve known for some time that engagement in the workplace is a challenge. It’s been written about extensively.

Sideline employees make up what Gallup identifies as the “actively disengaged” – those who do not enjoy going to work and are sucking the morale out of your organization. They’re unhappy and everyone knows it.

Why employees opt for the sidelines will vary from organization to organization. Understanding why is crucial. While this is not an attempt to identify all of those reasons, perhaps these observations will help.

Indifferent leaders produce indifferent employees

Leaders set the tone for the organization. If the leadership is indifferent towards its team members – not engaged with them, listening to them, empowering and equipping them, then it’s going to be a stretch to think the team members will be enthusiastic about coming off the sidelines. If you want your employees to have skin in the game they first need to see your investment.

The mission isn’t clear

If your team members can’t identify the mission of the organization then don’t expect them to commit to uncertainty. Click To Tweet. Team members will come off the sidelines when they know the mission when the vision is clear, and when they know what impact their contribution will make. Don’t expect your team members to stick their necks out for what you as a leader haven’t made clear.

The risk isn’t worth the reward

Leaders move employees off the sidelines by not only sharing the mission and vision but painting a picture of what victory looks like. Engaged employees had rather risk defeat by being in the game and contributing than watching others celebrate a victory they had nothing to do with. Click To Tweet It could be that some on the sidelines are there because there’s no incentive to be in the game.

Poor company culture

According to YouEarnedlt, 49% of employees say culture influences their employee experience more than the physical environment or the technology to do their job. Company culture is a two-edged sword that cuts both ways for sideline employees. They are on the sidelines because of their perception of a poor company culture but are too indifferent to step up to change it. The culture of your organization sets the tone for the productivity of your people. As a leader, you must accept responsibility for this. Click To Tweet

Moving your people from the sidelines to an all in commitment requires strong leadership. The foundational principles are relationships, communication, engagement, and culture. It’s time to get your players in the game!

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Six Reasons Why You Want Diversity On Your Team

Posted August 18, 2018October 4, 2018
by dougdickerson

Diversity: The art of thinking independently together. – Malcolm Forbes

That diversity is at the forefront of importance in the business community is an understatement. It’s as much a part of the conversation now as it’s ever been. Yet sadly, there are still some who are slow to understand the benefits of a diverse team.

Writing for Teamable, Melissa Suzuno highlights some impressive statistics as it relates to diversity and inclusion on your leadership team. Here are a few of her findings: 67% of candidates want to join a diverse team, 57% of employees want to prioritize diversity, inclusive companies enjoy 2.3 x higher cash flow, 35% of diverse companies outperform homogeneous ones, and 70% are more likely to capture new markets.

As impressive as these statistics are, it leads us to the questions- why are some organizations still slow in embracing diversity on their teams? We would like to offer six reasons why you should.

To create new margins for growth and opportunity.

Any organization seeking to expand its growth and opportunities should see diversity and inclusion as the starting point. Click To TweetDiversity on your team creates the margins you need to make that happen. With greater diversity and inclusion comes a larger net, greater reach, greater potential, and more success. It’s a leader’s secret sauce that’s really not a secret at all. It’s the lifeblood of your organization.

To eliminate stagnant thinking

Nothing will sink an organization faster than a group- think mentality and stagnant thinking. When creativity is waning or gone, and everyone is thinking alike you’ll soon discover no one is really thinking at all. Diversity allows you to challenge old assumptions and creates more options. Stagnant thinking says, “this is the way we’ve always done it”, while diversity says “we can and we will do better”. Diversity of thought and ideas gives you leverage that will elevate you to the next level. Embrace it!

To maximize our potential for success- the more voices at the table, the stronger we are.

Organizational leaders need to understand that the more voices you have at the table the stronger you will be. Click To TweetThose same few voices will continue to deliver those same predictable decisions. The expansion of creativity and diversity of ideas will only come to fruition with the inclusion of more people who can contribute to your organization’s success.

To take ego out of the equation

If you lack diversity on your team, chances are you have surrounded yourself with ‘yes’ men. This is great for your ego, but disastrous for your business. We all have blind spots, areas where we cannot see clearly. Diversity on your team gives you access to the resources that help bring your blind spots into focus.

To enhance buy-in

If you lack diversity on your team, you will struggle to get widespread buy-in for your ideas and solutions. We all want to feel like we have some control over our work environment. Diversity on your team allows input from a variety of perspectives and provides a sense of inclusion in the process. Buy-in eliminates the “us vs. them” mentality and fosters more of a “look at what we did” pride. Click To Tweet

To promote engagement

If you lack diversity on your team, you will promote an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality. We all want to feel like we are making meaningful contributions at work. An ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality is the enemy of engagement. Diversity on your team breaks down a perceived division and inspires employees to become engaged in making positive contributions to your organization.

Valuing and promoting a diverse team environment in your business benefits you as the leader, your employees, and the organization as a whole. This diversity creates new margins for growth and opportunity, eliminates stagnant thinking, maximizes the potential for success, takes ego out of the equation, enhances buy-in, and promotes engagement. As Malcolm Forbes stated in the above quote, the ultimate definition of diversity is “… thinking independently together.” No organization can stand on firm footings without it.

Liz Stincelli is an Employee Advocate, Leadership Consultant, Author, and Speaker. Learn more about Liz Stincelli at http://www.stincelliadvisors.com/

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Six Reasons Why Your Employees Don’t Believe A Word You Say

Posted October 30, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Don’t believe what I say. Believe what I do.” —Carlson Ghosn

Two psychiatrists meet at their 20th college reunion. One is vibrant, while the other looks withered and worried. “So what’s your secret?” the older looking psychiatrist asks. “Listening to other people’s problems every day, all day long, for years on end, has made an old man of me.” “So,” replies the younger looking one, “who listens?”

That humorous story reminds us as leaders of not just the necessity of listening but of the importance of how we communicate. It’s not so much what we say that’s important but that we are leaders who understand why our people should listen to us in the first place.

If your people are tuning you out and not believing what you say then your leadership is on life-support. Knowing the symptoms is the first step in turning things around. If your people don’t believe a word you say then here are six reasons why.

You are self-centered

If you are a self-centered leader your people will not believe you because you are only looking out for yourself. When decisions are made based upon what is best for you –what makes you look good- then you are using your people. Self-centered leadership tends to be manipulative and puts what is best for you above what is best for the team. If you are a self-centered leader you’d better wake up before it’s too late. One day you will look around and you’ll discover that not only are your people not believing you – they are not following you either.

You are inconsistent

Inconsistent actions produce inconsistent results. The flow and continuity of your leadership are essential to your success. If you say one thing and do another then those very actions will lead to mistrust and will marginalize your leadership. Flexibility is a must for any team moving forward. Unexpected things happen and your people will have to learn to go with the flow. But if you are inconsistent in terms of what you communicate or how you treat them it will be impossible for them to move forward or have faith in your leadership.

You don’t have their backs

Nothing will empower your team faster than having the backs of your people. A good leader knows this. But your people will not believe you if your message to them says “I have your back” yet you are nowhere to be found when they need you. When you empower your people and have their backs you create a momentum that can take your team to new levels of success. Don’t squander the drive, motivation, and ingenuity of your people by failing at this one critical element of your leadership. If you have the backs of your people they will have yours.

Your ego is front and center

If, as a leader, your ego is front and center, your employees won’t believe a word you say. Your ego can prevent you from seeing the world as it really is; you begin interpreting reality through your own biased lens. When your ego is front and center you send the message that your opinion is the only one that matters. Soon your employees, tired of hearing about how you know everything, will stop listening to you at all.

You lead with fear

If you lead with fear you will never earn the trust of your employees and they won’t believe a word you say. Fear stimulates the fight or flight response. In this state of mind, there is no higher-level cognitive thinking. When you lead with fear your employees disengage and become more focused on protecting themselves than what you are saying. Your attempt to control your employee’s behavior through fear will result in distrust and will undermine your ability to share your message and vision.

They don’t feel valued

Our success is deeply intertwined with our ability to collaborate. When your employees don’t feel valued they lose interest in continuing to try to contribute to the team. They withdraw and you lose the value of their unique skills and knowledge. Your employees need to have a voice and to have their individual contributions recognized and valued. Communication is a two-way street and when your employees don’t feel valued, you lose their respect which has a negative impact your ability to communicate and influence as a leader. When your employees don’t feel valued they won’t believe a word you say.

The key to leadership is trust and influence. If your people don’t believe a word you say, you have lost your ability to lead. It’s time to evaluate your leadership. Is your leadership self-centered or inconsistent? Do you have your employee’s backs? Is your ego front and center? Are you leading with fear? Do your people feel valued? Answer these questions honestly, make a change, and start leading today.

Elizabeth Stincelli is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors. Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website at stincelliadvisors.com

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Why Can’t You Retain Top Talent?

Posted June 22, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Being the best at whatever talent you have, that’s what stimulates life.” – Tom Landry

The competitive nature of today’s global economy stipulates that you have and retain the top talent in your organization. We acknowledge that to do so is as great of a challenge as it has ever been.

A recent article in USA Today highlighted how American workers are on the move. They reported that “27 percent of employees switched jobs in the 12 months ending in the first quarter according to payroll processor ADP, the most since the firm began tracking the figure in 2014.”

So what is a leader to do in order to retain and recruit top talent for their organizations? We have identified several characteristics that may shed some light on why your top talent may be headed through that revolving door. We believe as you take care of these leadership issues you can build the type of team that people would want to work for and think twice about leaving. But first, why are they leaving?

Lack of clear expectations

Nothing will frustrate your top talent more than a lack of a clear set of expectations and vision. Without it, your organization is adrift and your people struggle to find their way. Employees have to fight extra hard to succeed when they do not clearly understand what is expected of them in the first place. The constant feeling that they are not performing at an acceptable level, even if they don’t know what that level is, will send top talent running for the door.

Lack of investment

Your top talent needs to know that you are totally invested in their success. The buy-in is a two-way street and it needs to be demonstrated in tangible ways that reinforce your commitment to their success. Your investment in them shows that they are valued and that you are confident in their ability to make a meaningful contribution to the organization. When top talent feels that you do not value them enough to invest your time and resources in them, they will begin to seek an employer who will.

Perceived lack of respect

The culture and morale of your organization rest on foundational leadership principles. Namely among them are trust and respect. Top talent is especially attuned to the respect or lack thereof, that you have for them. These employees have devoted much of their lives to developing the skills, knowledge, and experience that make them so valuable. If the people in your organization perceive that you do not respect them, then it only stands to reason that they will be a part of a future exit from your organization.

Lack of a clear path forward

We want to be very clear about this leadership principle. Unless your people have a clear path forward, it will be clear to them that they are in the wrong place. In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell writes, “You can find smart, talented, successful people who are able to go only so far because of the limitations of their leadership.” It could be that the top talent in your organization is leaving, not because of a lack of opportunity, but because of a lack of leadership and a clear vision as to where they are going. It is incumbent upon you as the leader to provide it.

Lack of authentic leadership

Nothing will demoralize your people or your team members more quickly than a phony leader. Besides, too much is at stake for a leader to be anything other than genuine. Authenticity is the foundation for trust. No one wants to work for a leader who cannot be trusted. If you lack authenticity, employees will start to question your motives; they will perceive that you have hidden agendas that are not in their best interests. If the top talent within your organization can’t find authentic leadership where they are, they will look elsewhere for it.

We all have the desire to succeed; we want to know that our contributions are valued and that we are making a difference. Top talent has sacrificed far too much to achieve their level of skill to compromise on the leadership environment they work in. Provide them with the clear expectations they need to be successful. Invest your time and resources in helping them achieve great things. Leave no doubt as to how much you respect and trust them and their abilities. Provide them with a clear path forward and the means to follow that path. And, be an authentic leader, someone that top talent can look up to and emulate.

Your organization can only rise as high as your top talent. Isn’t it time to start retaining those employees who have the potential to add so much value? What adjustments will you make to your leadership today?

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations change attitudes, change communication dynamics, improve collaboration and problem-solving, engage employees, and strengthen organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at [email protected].

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The Changing Work Environment Part III: Providing Choice

Posted August 18, 2016
by dougdickerson

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“I believe happiness is a choice. Some days it is a very difficult choice.” – Steve Gleason

Our three part series on the changing work environment was inspired by findings in the Staples Advantage Workplace Index (http://bit.ly/1ULVQr7). Findings in the report reveal that half of workers state feeling overworked is motivating them to look for a new job, 62% say wellness programs are a selling point when looking for a new job, but only 35% actually have a wellness program at their current job, 3 out of 4 respondents say their employers don’t give them access to the latest technology to do their job efficiently. You can read more by clicking on the link and reading the full report.

In part III of our series ( In part one we talked about providing flexibility and in part two last week we discussed providing autonomy) on the changing work environment we discuss the importance of providing choice. Employees are not willing to give 100% to a job where they feel trapped. They want opportunity and they want choice.

What does it look like?

In the changing work environment, employees want to know that they have choices. In this new environment management is not dictating ‘how’ everything gets done. Employees are given the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, and then they are given the opportunity to make decisions and design how their work gets done to meet the goals of the company. In addition, they are empowered with the training and resources they need to be successful.

Why is it important?

Employees want to know that they are making a valuable contribution to something bigger than themselves; they want to feel truly invested in their work. When employees have choices, they have a sense of control which shows them that their input is valuable. It tells them they are trusted and are important.

Not long ago Glassdoor published its list of the Best Places to Work 2016 (http://bit.ly/1lN0I2p). Topping the list was Airbnb. An employee review for MindBody (#14) in the Glassdoor article writes, “It’s a culture of happiness! I’ve never been in such a positive environment. Management encourages you not only professionally, but in personal aspects of life too. So thankful to work for such an amazing company!” That sounds to us like a company that understands the value of their employees and wants them to succeed.

How do we do it?

Providing choice requires management to let go of the control they have clung to in the past. Old habits can be hard to break; here are six ACTION steps to help you think through your current operations and to embrace providing choice.

Accountability – The ebb and flow of an organization that provides flexibility, autonomy, and choice hinges on accountability. Regardless of what the organizational structure looks like or how teams are assembled it all comes down to mutual accountability if it is going to succeed.

Collaborate – In this changing work environment collaboration may take on a new look as well. Your box approach to thinking may now look more like a circle that makes room for more people, new ideas, and greater potential. If your workplace environment changes so too must the way you work with others also change.

Train – John Maxwell said, “The people’s capacity to achieve is determined by their leader’s ability to empower.” This is so true in the changing work environment. Training is essential not just for your success today but how you will look and operate five years from now and beyond.

Inspire – What your people need to see as they embrace a new work environment is greater ownership, greater opportunity for growth, and more control over their future. Inspire your people to the possibilities before them and remind them of it often.

Opportunity – The changing workplace environment can be frightening for people who have no voice in the direction they are going or have not bought-in to the vision. If one’s opportunity is not clear to them they will be the last to embrace change. Be vocal, be clear, and be out front with the opportunities that exist and for the ones they will create.

Now – The time for creating this new workplace environment is now. And we would like to remind you of what we advised in part one of this series. Take baby steps and tackle one or two small changes that you can implement right away. Be intentional about your changes and make them gradually. Include your people when charting the course. But get started!

liz Liz Stincelli is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. She holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership. Learn more about Liz by visiting her website: www.stincelliadvisors.com

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