We’re all riding the latest “Resignation Wave,” so don’t assume that your star performers know how much you value them. In her March 14 “Your Best Next Move” video, Bobbie LaPorte shares valuable leadership tips to help your team members find meaning in their work and understand how they contribute to your organization’s broader success.
Transcript of Your Best Next Move: Help Star Performers Find Meaning in Their Work – Before They Resign
Hi everyone, Bobbie LaPorte here again with my weekly leadership tip for your Best Next Move, where I help you see continuing curveballs as an opportunity. We’re done reacting to them, or pausing, waiting for a new kind of certainty to return. This year I will help you actively use your personal agency to accelerate what you want to accomplish in 2022.
In last week’s leadership tip, I shared that I’ve been hearing from many leaders about people not finding enough meaning and satisfaction in their work.
And I pointed out that while this is not a new theme, it is now amplified in a workplace where there is growing distrust of management, a lack of social connection in a remote environment, and a general sense of wondering what work is all about – given the geopolitical world we are living in.
As a result, people in droves are saying goodbye to their jobs….both actively and passively.
Here is an example of how this might show up on your team. A client recently shared with me that one of their star performers unexpectedly resigned to “find meaning in their life.” This could be a real existential issue that many are facing now. Or it could be that this individual looked to their job – the impact of their work, their connection to others – as a major contributing factor to what life means to them.
The leader will probably never know for sure. But don’t put yourself in a position of assuming your team members know what their work represents and how you value them. So many people have part of their identity associated with the work they do.
So, here’s my tip for this week:
The next time you have 1:1s with your direct reports acknowledge their value and how their contributions help the broader organization succeed.
Then ask them the following simple questions:
- What do you like most about your work?
- What is missing…e.g., what else could you be doing that you are not doing today?
This will acknowledge how they are currently contributing and open up possibilities for them to do more, in line with the things they enjoy doing, where they find meaning in their work and that matter to them.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to acknowledge the contributions your team members make, and it could be the best insurance policy you can have to avoid having a star employee leave.
That’s my tip for this week. I’ll see you next week. In the meantime, make the effort to create meaning and connection for your team. This is one way to use your personal agency to make uncertainty a part of your success strategy for 2022.
Some related posts you might like:
How Can I Keep My Star Performers From Leaving?
Surviving the Turnover Tsunami.
Confidence Killers and High CEO Turnover
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