| "A record number of employees are quitting or thinking of doing so". The article “Great Attrition or Great Attraction, the choice is yours” from McKinsey highlights how peoples’ needs and wants in the workplace have changed over the last couple of years, but there is often a mismatch between what the business thinks people want and what people actually want. It highlights a gap. The tendency for businesses to focus on transactional solutions at a time when employees need relational engagement; to feel listened to, valued and with a role to play in the future organisation. So what practical steps can you take to close that gap? Addressing the transactional in itself is not that easy given the current changes in the world of work, but what is often harder is the time, effort and skills it takes to be relational. The best leaders actively create the space and time to bring their people together to build those relationships, generate dialogue and listen. Building a psychological safe space where people can express themselves and talk openly, exploring the inherent strengths as well as the barriers to progress, where the power of diversity and collaboration can be unleashed and the future narrative, in which everyone has a role, can be articulated. Evidence from the likes of the CIPD, Gallup and Engage for Success consistently demonstrate that highly engaged organisations have significantly better retention, with employee turnover being as much as 40% lower. Not to mention the greater revenue, profitability, innovation and safety that these organisations experience. Engage for Success recognised four enablers of highly engaged organisations. Employee voice Engaged managers Organisational integrity Strategic narrative Bringing people together is one of the most effective ways to generate progress across all four. And in many ways it has never been easier. The event landscape has changed rapidly over the last couple of years and we now have at our fingertips many more techniques and technologies to create the space and time to have those important conversations. And with the proven ability to deliver hybrid, virtual and live events, you are no longer restricted by time or location. We can easily gather global teams for an hour, or a few days, or a combination of both, in a room or on zoom. So, make sure you take the time this year to engage and listen to your employees, build a relationship with them, and address those critical issues. It will help your business to progress and address the critical risk of losing out in the great resignation. And if you need help to create the space and time for these vital conversations or to think more deeply about how the four enablers show up in your organisation just give us a call. We'd love to start a conversation. |