Retention

Are people getting what they need to want to stay in their jobs?

When is the last time you asked someone on your team what matters to them?

I know what you’re saying to yourself as you read this. 

“I can barely stay awake at 8pm and still have 300 emails to return. When would I even ask?” 

Or 

“If I ask, I have to do something about it. I am powerless to make that change. Best let sleeping dogs lie”

Hmmm. And we wonder why we are bombarded by statistics about unhappy workplaces.

Remember: asking someone about themselves makes you human, more relatable and creates trust. You don’t have to make promises you can’t keep. Maybe you just need to learn how to have conversations that open your mind to different solutions, rather than assuming you know the answer and can’t do anything about it.

 “How are things going with you?” 

That’s too bad, I’m sorry to hear that. I can see how what you told me would make you tired/frustrated/sad…Tell me, what would make things different? Oh, okay, tell me more. What would that look like? And what would you think is the first step to getting there? What do you need? 

This is called expansive thinking. It is two people exploring thoughts to make things better. If there was one gift I could give people these days, it’s the courage to have these expansive conversations.

Why? They lead people to think freely while feeling supported.

There is no pressure to come to a solution immediately. When people think freely and are supporting each other, collaboration happens.