Leadership Skills Means Turnover is Not a Problem
"Ha!" you say. "For someone to make a statement like that, they obviously haven't worked in the real world and certainly have never had to run a company." Well, let me assure you. In my past I've not only run companies, but spent many years in one of the most notorious industries for turnover ? the restaurant industry. Don't get me wrong, I understand and appreciate the challenges that turnover creates. Turnover causes a drop in productivity, lower profits, inconsistent quality, and certainly creates work overload. In addition, turnover results in a lack of motivation, a lack of enthusiasm, apathy, and a lack of teamwork. But here's the question? Are the challenges I just raised problems or symptoms? In the context of our discussion of turnover, most people would agree that they're all symptoms of our turnover challenge. Turnover caused each of these shortfalls, which leads us to the core question: Is turnover a problem or a symptom? Turnover is a symptom. But what is turnover a symptom of? You may argue that turnover is a symptom of a weak workforce ? unmotivated people, apathetic, too small of a labor pool, etc. I believe, however, that turnover is caused by other factors. Turnover is related to leadership. Turnover is a symptom of leadership problems. Some of these leadership-related problems are: lack of purpose, lack of integrity, absence of a plan for developing people, poor communications, and treating people as objects instead of people. Let's discuss whether these factors really do cause turnover. I always suggest that clients use their own experience as their best example. Have you ever worked for a company just to earn a living? A job where you really didn't care about the work or the company? I'd guess that virtually everyone has been in that situation at one time or another. You may even be in that situation right now. When you were in that job, were you on the lookout for a better opportunity? Did you leave the company to take a job just to make more money? (? and then repeat the whole scenario once more?) When a company and a job lack purpose, turnover occurs. Have you ever worked for someone who lacked integrity? Someone who would say one thing and do another? Someone who promised to do something but never did? Someone who took the credit and placed the blame? Unfortunately, I'd have to guess that each of us has had that kind of boss at one time or another. When you were in that situation, did you continue to do your work? Of course you did. Was your work accurate and correct? Of course it was. Did you take the initiative on new projects for the benefit of the company? Maybe not. Go the extra mile to make a difference? Hmmm? Did you leave the company at the first opportunity? Point made. When an individual or company lacks integrity, turnover occurs. Ever work in a company where the prospects of advancement or expansion of responsibilities were nonexistent? Someplace where you knew that you weren't going anywhere? Stay very long? That's my point. Without an opportunity for growth, learning, expansion of responsibility, and increase in personal value, people leave. When people aren't developed, turnover takes place. Have you ever worked in a company where major changes were "sprung" on you like a surprise attack? Where work was assigned to you and after you completed it, you found out you had done the wrong thing? What happens when people don't communicate effectively? Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, conflict, de-motivation, and stress. What do misunderstanding, conflict, de-motivation and stress lead to? You got it ? turnover. And then comes the most insidious issue of them all - treating people as objects rather than people. The truth is that from time to time we all fall into this trap to one degree or another. I'm talking about how we regard people. Again, use your own experience as your best example. Have you ever had someone say something kind or positive to you, but you sensed that they were being "phony"? They used the right words, but you could tell their words were insincere? Did you believe the words or your sense of the person? No questions about it ? we believe our sense of things and people. When we are faced with someone who says one thing but means another, does our respect for that person increase, decrease or stay the same? Clearly it decreases. Not only do we rely on our sense of the person ? our intuition ? but we form opinions about them based on our insights. Have you ever worked for someone who you lost respect for? Did you stay at that job very long? When people treat other people as objects, turnover occurs. Purpose, integrity, developing people, effective communications, and regarding people as people are all leadership issues. Exceptional leadership inspires the best effort in others, and when people give their best effort, the result is a high performance organization. When you and your organization have a clearly defined Purpose, you attract and retain the talent you need. When you and your organization have integrity, you build trust and loyalty. When you and your organization are committed to developing people, people become the best they can be. When you and your organization communicate effectively, conflict and tension diminish and cooperation increases. When you and your organization work to treat people as people, they appreciate it and reciprocate. Turnover isn't a problem - it's a symptom caused by leadership problems. Fortunately, the problems can be solved, and you have the power to make that difference. Strive to become the best leader you can be. Written by Michael Beck, President of Exceptional Leadership, Inc., a leadership development and executive coaching firm dedicated to creating exceptional leadership for higher profits and greater job satisfaction. Michael can be reached at 877-977-8956 or mbeck@XLeaders.com, and you can learn more about the company and these ideas at http://www.XLeaders.com Permission to reprint with full attribution. Copyright 2004, Exceptional Leadership, Inc.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Meaningful Diversity: Creating Cultures of Inclusion
In the fitness room the other day, I caught a glimpse of a
movie trailer on television. A father spoke very
open-heartedly with his son about his work as a fireman. He
acknowledged the fear that welled up in him when he looked
into a small, dark room filled with life-threatening heat
and flames, and described the instinct to run in the
opposite direction.
Real Costs in Distribution and What it Means To Your Company
Ever feel that all the lawyers in thh Country need to give their lives up for our freedom, by exiting the planet forthwith? Yes, me too. In an article in CCJ-Commercial Carrier Journal entitled "Ticking Away" The Insurance Time Bomb. It discussed how the trucking industry is limiting their insurance expenses by skipping some of the more prevalent coverage. For this reason the trucking companies have begun to add to our service contracts in the service sector, higher limits and more comprehensive additional insured certificates.
Four Employee Behaviors That Can Kill Your Business
I found it important to clarify for employees what "deal-breaker" behavior was at my company. These are the things I insisted would not be tolerated and would lead to immediate or ultimate termination, depending on the nature of the infraction of these hard and fast rules. Here are the behaviors I would not tolerate:
Five Days to More Effective Inventory Management
The litany of headaches related to the implementation and on-going care-and-feeding of enterprise-based inventory management applications (upgrading, downtime, maintenance, hardware obsolescence, and so on) is long. These implementation issues are enough make the savviest of companies want to engage in anything but another supply chain or inventory management software implementation.
Money, Motivation, Success and Who?
It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning, and I was setting
up to do the opening keynote for the conference. For some
reason--I have no idea why--the sound man thought his ten
year old daughter would enjoy my presentation. He'd brought
her with him to work.
Climb out of the Box - How to Hold Effective Meetings
Out of the box thinking is a popular fad today. And yet, in order to leave a box, you
have to realize that you are in one.
Policy & Procedure Manuals - Tools For Greater Productivity and Efficiency
In today's tough retail environment the retailer needs all the tools he can get to help improve efficiency, productivity, and the bottom line. Two of these tools are the company's Policy Manual and Procedure Manual.
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Employee Ideas Achieve Work Life Balance
This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates how your staff feels with regard to the balance between work and personal life. It explores issues such as priority of family and hours on the job, also covered in this competency. Organizations that enjoy a high satisfaction level in this area will normally exhibit a low rate of absenteeism and experience higher employee retention. Evaluating this competency is helpful in understanding issues relating to a workforce that is commonly tardy or absent from work.
What Every HR Manager Should Know About Hiring Productive Employees
The characteristics of job applicants have a strong influence on whether or not they get hired. Their characteristics also indicate the level of their productivity. If you are about to hire employees, consider the characteristics listed below in checklist form. The candidates who possess them are probably the ones who will be readily accepted by your staff. This acceptance plays an important role in the team-building process and the productivity of the staff.
Cross Cultural Solutions for International Business
Globalisation, the expansion of intercontinental trade, technological advances and the increase in the number of companies dealing on the international stage have brought about a dramatic change in the frequency, context and means by which people from different cultural backgrounds interact.
What Every Manager Should Know About How to Become An Effective Executive
In his book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker pointed out that the effective executive is the person who focuses on making a contribution.
Leadership Style: What Makes A Good Boss?
In today's competitive environment, companies realize that a good boss is one who can identify and build on the talents of the staff and knows how to retain top performing employees. Take this quiz and see if you are a good boss.
3 Simple Things the Best Managers Do - And You Can Too!
If it's so simple, why don't managers all over the globe get this right, every
time? Well, because it's so simple, it seems too easy, so busy managers squeeze
a lot more in, time after time. And that makes things much more complex - just
the way a manager should be. NOT. Keep it simple, deliver quality and
you will not go far wrong.Here are the three things...
25 Super-Practical Steps to Build Your Business!
For the past several weeks, we have focused on some wonderful but (to my way of thinking) rather fancy ideas about life. I wrote about motivation (I don't believe in it). I wrote about sorting out priorities (I do believe in that!). And I wrote about the 4 traits of highly successful people. I love that stuff! But I believe most of you subscribe to TIP's for help in actually running your office from day to day. Most of you have told me you're professionals in private practice, or owners of small businesses, or a manager. And that means you must attract clients or customers, serve them very well, and earn their return business - and do it every single day.
The Art of Motivation and Need Fulfillment
Industrial/clinical psychology and applied psychiatry have made tremendous strides in understanding human behavior. New discoveries and applications toward understanding human behavior are being announced with increasing frequency in these inexact sciences. Still, it is possible to become reasonably proficient in the art of motivating others. While this skill is indeed complex, the average supervisor, through a comprehensive understanding of motivational elements (the dynamics of motivation, motivators, and motivational techniques), can become an effective leader of others in the workplace. With patience and applied practice, this skill can be obtained within a relatively short time span.
How to get an Audiences Attention
A trainer dryly discussing how to motivate people in an organization basically has just another "point-by-point" presentation. But suppose that he mounts the podium and begins to speak. Suddenly, a phone on the lectern rings. He ignores it at first, trying to continue. Finally he gives up, excuses himself and answers it. It is an engineer (off-stage voice) with a series of questions relating to the organization and the lecture topic. Although the presenter protests that this is "highly irregular," the offstage voice indicates that the issues are pressing and must be answered on the spot (while visual support flashes on the screen). Humor meaningful to the audience may be injected, such as, "Why aren't you at the meeting?" The lecture time is up, the presentation time has been used, and the presenter complains he "never got a chance to talk to the audience." But the audience members have received the information that the trainer had come to share with them, and in an attention-getting way.
5 Ways to Work More Effectively With Your Administrative Assistant
Stop hiring new administrative support staff. And learn how to retain your existing administrative staff.
Effective Multi Cultural International Business Meetings
Of the many areas in international business where cultural differences manifest is in the corporate meeting room. International meetings are an area where differences in cultural values, etiquette, interpretations of professional conduct and corporate rules are at their most visible and challenging to control.
Managing Workplace Conflicts
Kinds of Workplace Conflicts
So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances
The following information is based upon over 500 interviews with senior executives with whom I conducted over the past four years. These senior executives represent a variety of industries and organizations. It is interesting to note the similarities of their responses. The research concentrated on five areas:
|
