Why people Leave? This stuff Holds up….

Why people Leave? This stuff Holds up….

It’s pretty incredible how often you hear leaders/sorry, strike that — not real leaders — but just “Managers”, complaining about their best employees leaving, and they really do have something to complain about — we all know how costly and disruptive it is to have great people walk out the door.

“Managers” tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun while ignoring the crux of the matter: People don’t leave jobs; they leave their boss !

The sad thing is that this can easily be avoided. All that’s required is a new perspective and some extra effort, and oh yea — you have to listen.

These are possibly the nine worst things that bad leaders do that send good people packing.

1. They overwork people.

Nothing burns great people out quite like overworking them, its unreasonable and just dumb. It’s so tempting to work your best people hard that leaders frequently fall into this trap. Overworking good people is a paradox & perplexing; it makes them feel as if they’re being punished for great performance. Overworking employees is also counterproductive — the challenge is the “gamers” always think they are up for it and suffer from the “if I say I am at capacity — then I wont be a “valued” so intuitive leaders need to be sensitive to this.

The research data shows that productivity per hour declines significantly when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that you don’t get anything out of working more hours.

If you must increase how much work your best people are doing, you’d better increase their status as well. Talented people will take on a bigger workload, but they won’t stay if their job suffocates them in the process, and if you are not clearly of valuing their contribution. Of course raises, promotions, and title-changes are all acceptable ways to increase workload, but are not the magic bullet — nothing takes the place honesty, transparency, and empowerment.

If you simply increase workload because people are talented and are your “go to” resource, without changing they way you outwardly value them, they will seek another adventure that gives them what they deserve.

2. They don’t recognize contributions and reward good work.

It’s easy to underestimate the power of a pat on the back, especially with top performers who are intrinsically motivated. Everyone likes kudos, none more than those who give it 110% + all the time .

True leaders know how to communicate with their people to find out what makes them feel good and motivates them (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done. With top performers, this will happen often if you’re doing it right.

3. They really don’t care about their people.

More than 60% people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain their leaders know how to balance being professional with being human. If you don’t know what your EQ is — stop reading now and find out, but its probably too late for you.

These are the leaders who celebrate an employee’s success, empathize with those going through hard times, and challenge people, even when it hurts. Leaders who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates, and worse they blame everyone but their own lack of self awareness. It’s impossible to work for someone 110% when they aren’t personally involved and don’t care about anything other than your production.

4. They don’t honor their commitments.

Making promises to people places you on the fine line that lies between making them very happy and watching them walk out the door. When you uphold a commitment, you advance and grow in the eyes of your people because you prove yourself to be authentic, trustworthy and honorable (two of the most important qualities in a boss). But when you disregard your commitment, you come across as slimy, uncaring, veneer, and disrespectful, and dare I say — lazy.

After all, if the leader doesn’t honor his or her commitments, why should everyone else?

5. They hire and promote the wrong people.

A players want to be on the field with peak performers, they want to work with like-minded professionals. When leaders don’t do the hard work of hiring good people, it’s demotivating for those that working alongside them.

Promoting the wrong people is even worse. When you work your A__ off only to get passed over for a promotion or high visibility project, that’s given to someone who told the boss what they wanted to hear, its not only disingenuous, worse it is a massive insult, and it probably means you might have a narcissist at the helm. No wonder you are losing great people.

6. They don’t let people pursue their passions.

A players are passionate, they are thoroughbreds that have to run. Providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions improves their productivity, intellectual stimulation, and overall job satisfaction. But many leaders only want people to “color in the lines”, because they fear that productivity will decline if they let people expand their focus and pursue their passions. Big mistake.

This fear is unfounded. Studies show that people who are able to pursue their passions at work experience flow or zone , a euphoric state of mind that is five times more productive than the norm.

7. They fail to develop their people’s skills.

When leaders are asked about their inattention to their people, they try to excuse themselves, using words such as “trust,” “autonomy,” and “time” “empowerment.” This is complete nonsense. Good leaders manage, no matter how talented the employee. They pay attention and are constantly listening and giving feedback. The art is blending leadership with direction and management.

Leadership may have a beginning, but it certainly has no end. When you have A players, it’s up to you to keep finding areas in which they can improve to expand their skill set. The most talented people want feedback — more so than the less productive people — and it’s leadership’s job to keep it coming. If you don’t, your best people will grow bored, become complacent, and leave..

8. They fail to engage their creativity.

The most talented people seek to improve everything they touch, always pushing the envelope into “discomfort” this fights complacency, and they know it. If you take away their ability to change and improve things because you’re only comfortable with the status quo, this makes them hate their jobs, and maybe you too. Caging up this innate desire to create not only limits them, it also limits you as a leader.

9. They fail to challenge people intellectually.

Great leaders challenge their people to accomplish things that seem inconceivable at first. Instead of setting mundane, incremental goals, they set lofty goals that push people out of their comfort zones.

Then, they do everything in their power to help them succeed. When talented and intelligent people find themselves doing things that are too easy or boring, they seek other jobs that will challenge their intellects.

If you want your best people to stay, you need to think carefully about how you treat them. While most good people are as tough as nails, their talent gives them an abundance of options. You need to make them want to work for you.