Why the “Great Resignation” + What we can do about it.

It’s an astonishing trend, and an eye opening look into the underpinnings of what we call “Work”.

According to the Department of Labor, over 4 MILLION people in January this year were in some type of job transition.

That’s an impressive number of job seekers in motion, and that is a rolling monthly average!

Inc Magazine offers another lens into this growing trend with a recent survey of 3,000 CEO’s and top executives across 10 industries world-wide:

> 72% fear losing their jobs in 2022.

> 80% cited “labor shortages” as a potential worry.

Keep in mind, this survey was for CEO’s and business leaders, not the total work force!

Yes, the pandemic along with this growing trend has truly affected all of us…

With this many people in motion and the casualties lining up on both sides of the aisle, most likely you know someone affected by the “Great Resignation”, or perhaps you are numbered among them. 

So, here’s the question we all should be asking…

Is your organization or team struggling to keep good talent?

Nothing fixes “broken” better than a positive culture.

You can’t get there with a quick review of survey ratings or testimonials from direct reports around you.

You need candid, REAL feedback about what’s working, what’s broken and what’s not, from the people in all facets of your organization.

Shifting culture takes more time than we think.

It’s messy work but vitally important.

No one wants to be a casualty.

Here are 4 observations to help shift your culture the right direction:

#1 – Recognize that the “Great Resignation” is not a fad that will quickly pass.

The pandemic coupled with YEARS of culture creep have caused the perfect storm that people are waking up to:

#2 – Create a culture of positive accountability where anyone can share feedback in a professional way regardless of titles.

As a leader, you need to OWN this!  The rewards for doing this will be tremendous.

#3 – Are the right people in the right roles?

This is not about “restructuring” or layoffs.  That’s what the consultants want us to think.

It’s truly about equipping the people who already work for you to be successful.

Most of the time, we will find in working 1:1 with someone there is a winning combination that can help people succeed – time, training or mentoring.

In the rare event someone is truly not in the right role, we must remember the human element and treat these team members with dignity and respect.

Nothing cuts against positive culture quicker than how we treat our own employees especially when they leave.

#4 – Human beings are not widgets that simply fit into an assembly line template called a “job description”.

Maybe it’s a good time to really look at the positions within your organization.

Can real people do those jobs – the way we are asking them to?

Are we allowing people to fulfill their responsibilities in a way that still accomplishes the goal but allows for creativity?

Why does all this matter?

Because this global trend is another phase of the pandemic that is still present in most organizations.

It’s a cancer that is eating our organizations from the inside out, but we can’t see it unless we are paying attention.

It all comes down to one important truth…

People are no longer willing to accept the unacceptable.

#positiveculture #leadership #pandemic

~Helping you achieve true and lasting success~