Labor markets have been tough as we all know. Unfortunately, they are expected to stay tight this year, making it difficult for employers to attract and retain good workers. The result is that a focus on employee retention is more important than ever before.
Respect and Admiration
While pay and benefits are important, employee surveys have shown that a critical factor in retention is how they feel treated by their company, especially by their supervisor. Not all companies can afford to pay top dollar or provide outstanding benefits, but all companies can and should work to treat their employees with respect and appreciation.
The challenge is that respect and appreciation are very subjective terms. What matters is what each employee feels are respectful behaviors and appropriate recognition. Leaders need to learn to listen and observe carefully. They should ask employees directly how they each want to be treated. Then, they need to adjust their behavior to meet these expectations.
No one said leadership was easy
Yes, being a leader is already a demanding role. How can they possibly do more? And after all, employees are getting paid to work and don’t need a kid glove treatment – right?
No.
We aren’t suggesting that leaders do anything more than be a little more attentive to the people who work for them. When it is already hard enough to find the right employees, isn’t the investment of a little more time worth it in the long run? Pay doesn’t cut it anymore. You must treat your employees well. Respect and appreciation are two of the easiest and most powerful tools you have to build motivation and retention.
Introverts and Extroverts
You’re probably familiar with the concepts of introverts and extroverts. Introverts generally prefer working alone or to have some alone time during the day to recharge. A quiet, focused space to work gives them the energy they need to get through the day. Extroverts prefer to engage with other people throughout the day. Engagement is what gives them the energy they need to get through their workday. Most people have a mix of the two, but also a clear tendency toward one or the other.
If leaders can provide more alone time for introverts and more teamwork time for extroverts, they are more likely to have motivated and successful team members. Just a slight shift one way or the other can be enough to make people feel treated the way they want to be treated, which is my definition of respect.
A Takeoff on the Golden Rule
All this is just a takeoff of the Golden Rule, which I call the Golden Rule 2.0®. Treat people the way they want to be treated. In turn, they will feel respected and appreciated, making your workday much easier – not harder.
Yin or Yang or Both?
Introvert and extrovert are just two of many distinct tendencies that can be addressed rather easily. Some people love a challenge and will leave jobs without a challenge. Others prefer a safe, stable environment and will be superstars on your team if it feels right.
Hiring and screening is the first step – if your workplace is complex, dynamic, and frequently changing, you need to hire workers who thrive in that environment. If it’s calm and stable, you need to hire workers who will be successful in that environment. The reality is that most workplaces are a mix. That means you need to be attentive to your team. Give the challenges to those who most want them and the more routine work to those who value that.
Listen
Engage with your employees. Observe their body language as well as their words. Ask them directly what parts of the job they most value and what they find less rewarding. Ask for feedback regularly. How do they feel about your leadership style? What do they value and what they’d like to see changed? As you
become a better listener, you will hear a wide range of preferences being shared, many that you can quickly and easily address. You will also begin to see increased retention rates.
There are many tools that can help guide you to accommodate different preferences. T.E.A.M. Communication Styles® is one such tool and we’d love to show you how it can help leaders and teams learn to work together more easily and successfully.
