Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business
by Regine Azurin

This article is based on the following book:
Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business
24 Ways to Hang On to Your Most Valuable Talent
By Leigh Branham

American Management Association, 2001
ISBN 0 8144 0597 5

The Big Idea In whatever business you choose to engage in, you need reliable and competent people. You have to invest in the right people - people who put their competencies and work ethics at optimal levels - in order to lead your business to victory. Like a well-oiled machine, these people contribute to the operation and to the eventual success of your business. As a matter of fact, these are the very people who keep you in business.

However, employees today are seeking better opportunities to career growth and development. They seek better opportunities for skills advancement and sometimes higher wages and benefits.

If you think you are losing the employees who keep your business working, then this is the book for you. This book, "Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business," will give you tips and ways on how to hold on to the primary asset of your business - your workforce.

Why Good Performers Leave
Your employees are beginning to think twice about staying in your organization. The question is, where does this dissatisfaction originate and why does this dissatisfaction occur? Here are six frequent underlying reasons why good performers leave.

1. They see no link between their pay and their performance. Departing employees usually say that they are leaving to seek "better opportunities," which means more than the phrase "more money." Deeper motivations are involved in the process, like more lucrative positions from other companies, dissatisfaction in growth prospects, and the inability of the employees to see any link between his performance and his pay.

Employees are demoralized when they see that they work harder and smarter and get better results than their co-employees, yet receive the same remuneration. But if the contrary occurs - when they know that they will be monetarily rewarded in proportion with the greater results they produce - they become motivated. This is because they see a relationship between their performance and their pay.

2. They don't perceive growth or advancement opportunities. When employees do not "perceive" opportunities for growth in their field, employees conclude that these opportunities do not exist at all. Indeed, there may be hidden opportunities, but if the employee and the manager do not discuss career options and opportunities, the former, more often than not, will get dissatisfied and eventually leave the company.

3. They don't see their work as important, or their contributions are not recognized and valued by others. All employees must believe that their work is essential to make their business a successful one. Fulfillment of the employee starts with the manager conveying that their employee's contribution is indispensable to the company's mission and vision. Once they recognize this, they become motivated to carry on with their tasks.

4. They don't get to use their natural talents. Out of economic necessity, a lot of people get into jobs where they would not be able to utilize their natural talents and abilities. In the same manner, companies hire workers because they need a person to fill a certain position, even if he is not the right person for the said job.

5. They have unclear or unrealistic expectations. This often applies to fresh graduates, when they expect rapid advancement and immediate change. If this does not happen, most would likely "quit on the job" and seek other opportunities. It is also applicable to employees who only realize how dirty or greasy their job is once they assume their position.

Indeed, employees must be given a realistic view of the job and its working conditions. In the same manner, employers must also be clear about the expectations that they have for their employees.

6. They will no longer tolerate abusive managers or toxic environments. Employees often stay in an environment where they must tolerate abusive treatment or unreasonable stress. This culture is often called the "Culture of Sacrifice."

This culture is characterized by the following:

1. Excessive demands for personal sacrifices.
2. Continual crisis.
3. Demands on employees to be available at all hours.
4. Employees subject to unreasonable deadlines.
5. Pony express" management, or "ride 'em 'til they drop" mentality.

More often than not, this "Culture of Sacrifice" leads to the following results:

1. Employee stress, burnout, depression, and turnover.
2. Absenteeism, accidents, and costly mistakes.
3. No energy for idea creation and risk taking.
4. Poor quality of life and family conflict.
5. Retention of passive, dependent employees.

You must also consider these serious tips about fun in the workplace.

1. What is fun for one person may not be fun for another. Your duty is to find fun activities that are compatible to your company culture.
2. You need to do some lightening up for your employees to do the same.
3. Workplace fun doesn't need to be planned.
4. You don't have to make fun happen; instead you should let it happen.

About the Author:
Regine P. Azurin Regine Azurin is the President of BusinessSummaries.com, a company that provides business book summaries of the latest bestsellers for busy executives and entrepreneurs. http://www.bizsum.com "A Lot Of Great Books....Too Little Time To Read" Free Book Summaries Of Latest Bestsellers for Busy Executives and Entrepreneurs
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