Retention Strategy? No! Do this instead.

(Prefer to watch rather than read? Click here, 5 mins, with captions.)

“We need a retention strategy”.  A common cry.

The thing is…you don’t.  What you need is to set things up so talented people want to stay.  And the good news is…they are the same things that make your organisation productive.

Which is good.

There are just two things:

1. People can use their abilities to be useful
2. People don’t mind who they are working with.

That’s it!

Sure…perhaps there’s some more stuff, but if you get these two things nailed…you’re so far on your way you might even be there.

So…a bit more detail.

Making People Feel Useful

The biggest praise Thomas the Tank Engine could receive was “Thomas, you are a very useful engine”.  Us adults are no different.  We actually do want to be put to good use.

Some guidance on how to do this:

Don’t Overload People

This is the biggest one.  I am not talking about reducing the workload across a week, month, year whatever.  What I am talking about is stopping the multitudes of working hitting them from various angles.  Why would you want your talent spending time negotiating with people what they should be doing next rather than doing great work on whatever is in front of them?

Get that work sequenced, take away the hassles of what’s next – and watch satisfaction soar.

Get the Work Clear…and Why

This one is obvious, but it falls to the wayside.  Every 1-3 months, just clarify what the work is about, both for the role and tasks that are on.  Just to check.  As for the ‘why’ part, don’t go all “we’re saving the world”.  Just describe:

• Who will be receiving the work
• What these people receiving the work are trying to get done
• How the work will make help them get that hing done

These three things create all the purpose or ‘why’ that you need.  And you can avoid another Simon Sinek talk.

Who Does What

Be constantly looking for opportunities to clarify who does what.  This looks conversations about ‘who’s getting the ice, who’s getting the food’, as well as more generic ‘what each department is there to do’ type stuff.  This matters because working with other people is hard enough as it is…when there isn’t shared understanding about who is meant to do what…it becomes close to impossible.

And remember, people leave when their talents aren’t being put to good use, so when it’s hard to figure out how the show works…those talents feel wasted.

OK, so we’ve done our bit to let people use their talents to be useful.  As J. Bon Jovi said, we’re half-way there.   But all work happens because someone asks someone to do something.  So, it involves people.  Which is why the other half of people wanting to be there is…

People Don’t Mind Who They Are Working With

Note my lofty standard there –  “don’t mind”.  Even better if they like who they are working with, or think their colleagues are awesome.  Bonus.  But make your target ‘don’t mind’, people don’t mind situations where there is no smell…but no one wants to be in a room that stinks.

So what you do is…

Take “How We Treat Each Other” Seriously

Got your poster up with the agreed rules on behaviours (like in primary school)?  Fine.  Doesn’t matter one bit.  Until…someone does something that doesn’t fit in with those.  This is the only time that it counts…and its about whether or not that act is addressed.

(If you don’t have a poster or agreed thing, just go with ‘treat people like they matter’)

Doesn’t matter if it needs to be addressed by a manager type or if the team has developed itself to the point where it sorts it.  What matters is that it’s addressed. 

Consistently seeing acts that don’t line up with ‘OK’ is going to eventually have people looking for work elsewhere.  And who will look first?  Those that are the most employable.  The good news is that the flipside is also true – putting in the effort to create a vibe of openness, candor, empathy, authenticity, humour and tending to each other’s needs will make you a capability magnet.

Make Sure People Know What Is Going On And Get A Say

This one is a basic human need – to have some influence over the situation.  Which requires being informed about it.  Note it’s not about control or all the power…just the knowledge that our voice will be heard and taken into consideration.  Research has shown that it’s the being heard that creates the willingness to go along, not whether it’s agreed.  Which is actually how democracy is supposed to work – you don’t always get the leader you want…but you do get a vote.

This is easier to do than most think – it’s about forums of conversation, and a willingness to both listen and explain yourself…and letting go of the idea that everyone is going to leave high-fiving you.  In the end authenticity and empathy will win out…assuming you actually know what you’re doing!

Under-Performance Is Addressed – Kindly

People feel more useful when they are playing with others who are also good.  Not necessarily great…but good.  Competent.  Professionals in both work output and how they handle themselves.  And there’s also the human need for fairness.  Both of these create the necessity for a lack of performance being addressed when it occurs.

But there’s a catch.  It must be done kindly.  Meaning in a way that allows the person to maintain their respect and dignity.  Doing so in a way that’s, well, mean, will trigger a deep response inside of us which is “what if one day that’s me”.  That’s why due process is crucial…as is all the intangible messaging around whether that person is still considered to be human worthy of dignity (they are).

Also, it’s simply down to the aforementioned ‘how we treat each other’.  The way those with power act in situations that cause unease and anxiousness will become the default standard for the group.  Addressing performance and having to remove someone from a role is the key one…so this is where the culture is made.

Bringing it Home

Allowing people to use their talents to be useful and to work with people they don’t mind will quickly make your team, your division, your organisation a beacon for those that want to do great work.  And might even make it unattractive for those who don’t.

You don’t need a ‘strategy’ to put this into place.  You just need to do it.

Simple doesn’t mean easy…but it does mean simple.

Now…over to you.