Just when you thought that business couldn’t get any more challenging, you come back from a Christmas break and one of your key staff members has decided to move on. Its amazing how often, while on an extended break over New Years, an individual reflects on the upcoming year and decides whether or not they will stay with you as an employer, or with the job they are in.
Reflection
While on the Christmas break, they get plenty of time to reflect on their future, discuss it with others, hear what choices their friends and family members are making, and compare and contrast.
It highlights the importance of sharing a clear vision for the business, and that key employee’s place in it. The best time to do it is regularly and often, but certainly before this critical break at the end of another year. In order for them to recommit to you for another 12 months, they need to see a pathway to growth – personally, professionally and financially.
Motivation
There are two main motivators in life – pleasure and pain. Of the two, pain is the more powerful. When in pain, all we want to do is be out of it. On the way from pain to pleasure is a place called ‘comfort zone’. So once out of pain, we may never drive all the way to pleasure.
Compelling Vision
The vision you paint for the individual and team is often focussed on the positive outcome – pleasure, success, achievement, reward. If, however, the present pain or discomfort is punishing, the motivation to be out of pain will be more powerful than the compelling future vision. This may result in that key employee exiting, either because of the pain, or because there was no compelling vision presented.
Next time
So, this year, make sure you remember to refresh the vision, remind your team members, encourage them to succeed, and before they go on 2020 Christmas break, thank them for their efforts, and share the exciting vision for the year ahead, for them personally and for the business.