If you are up to big things post COVID-19 you know that you need to attract and retain the best talent to work with you.
But you can keep them challenged, invest in their development and still find it difficult to keep them. If you attract talented people, they are likely to be sought after for other opportunities. You may not be able to provide them with their next career move.
David has fostered countless senior leaders into bigger roles all over the globe. He makes a point of employing people who are smarter than him; he does not have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. He takes a personal interest in them and focuses on their development.
But despite his best efforts, some people leave for other opportunities. He gives those team members his blessing. He thanks them for their specific contributions while they worked together. He stays connected with them. Many of those people continue to seek him out for his counsel on the leadership challenges they face.
He believes he is better off with good people for a short time than average performers who stay too long.
In the book, Work Rules!, Laszlo Bock provides an insight on the topic from his experience as Senior VP of People Operations for Google. He led all aspects of attraction, development and retention of 50,000+ staff worldwide. Google wanted to know the difference between good and bad managers. They played a vital role in attracting and retaining staff.
Google found 8 key attributes of good managers:
✅ Be a good coach.
✅ Empower the team and do not micromanage.
✅ Express interest/concern for team members’ success and personal well-being.
✅ Be very productive/results-oriented.
✅ Be a good communicator – listen and share information.
✅ Help the team with career development.
✅ Have a clear vision/strategy for the team.
✅ Have important technical skills that help advise the team.
Of course, like David, you could be a good manager and still lose valuable team members. But you are better off having good people for a short time than average performers who stay too long.
🙋 Which of these attributes are important to you to attract and retain good people?
Best regards, Brian
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