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August 24, 2022 2 Simple Ways for Leaders to Improve Retention

It’s no secret that employee retention is a problem right now. With the Great Resignation (or Great Reshuffle, as some call it), individuals have more leverage than ever before and they are less nervous about quitting when they’re unhappy with their current work situation. That puts pressure on companies—and by extension, company leaders—to recruit and retain top talent.

But there’s no need to panic! There is still a clear correlation between job satisfaction and employee retention. Satisfied workers aren’t going anywhere, despite a tidal wave of resignations. And, fortunately, leaders have the power to influence retention. A recent report by Gallup finds that the number one reason employees leave a job is “due to a bad boss or immediate supervisor.”

So…how can leaders improve? How can they demonstrate respect for and recognition of team members? And, ultimately, how can they retain a talented and motivated team? Increasing pay and benefits may help in the short term, but those incentives only go so far. It’s better to focus on what makes people satisfied in their work.

In my experience, two critical factors pave the way to worker satisfaction: 1) giving people the right work and 2) providing stretch goals. Let’s talk about both.

The first factor involves assigning the “right” work.

I like to think about this factor as “getting the right butts in the right seats.” In other words, different people have different skill sets, talents, and interests. An attentive leader understands where each team member thrives, and attempts to align their people with the appropriate work. If someone loves to dig into the data and run analytics, give that person data-centric tasks. If another person thrives on teamwork and creativity, orient that person to work that involves creative collaboration.

Building an understanding of your team members’ strengths/weaknesses and interests/dislikes takes time. I encourage you to regularly meet with people in one-on-one settings and ask the following questions:

  • Which parts of your job are you liking right now? What’s working?
  • Which parts are not working?
  • What would you like to be doing more often?
  • What would you like to be doing less often or not at all?
  • What does your ideal day look like?
  • What are your personal goals in the company? And what can do to support those goals?

The second factor has to do with stretch goals.

When people are bored, they tend to quit. AND when people are overwhelmed, they also tend to quit. Stretch goals sit in the middle of boredom and overwhelm.

A stretch goal is a challenge you might set in front of an individual or team that stretches their abilities, but is still attainable. It’s a healthy challenge—an opportunity to grow and, perhaps, learn new skills (or tap into underutilized skills). When it comes to stretch goals, keep a few best practices in mind:

  • Use SMART goal setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound)
  • Make sure the team/individual is supported with information and resources
  • Define what “success” means (if only part of the goal is achieved, is that still considered a success?)
  • Make sure objectives are clear (and make yourself available to answer questions in case they’re not)
  • Check in regularly about the stretch goal
  • Celebrate your milestones and wins!

By 1) making sure your people are doing work that aligns with their skills and interests and 2) providing regular stretch goals for your team, you will foster a supportive, motivating workplace environment. No one likes to feel like their talents are wasted. Get your team members in the right set of tracks and provide the fuel to inspire them to move forward. As a leader, you have that power.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 

HER NEW EBOOK IS CALLED A QUICK GUIDE TO COURAGE.

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August 17, 2022 Why Care About Diversity of Thought?

We spend so much time in our own heads, and wrapped up in our own thoughts, we tend to forget that others think differently than we do. They might have different perspectives, different trigger points, or process information in a different way. These differences could stem from our backgrounds, experiences, personalities, world views—any number of factors that shape our thoughts.

It is important to A) acknowledge these differences and B) embrace them!

As a Licensed Practitioner of Insights Discovery (read more about Insights in this post), I am very familiar with diversity of thought. Some people thrive on data and logic. They prefer to collect all the information they possibly can before making a decision (or even speaking up). In Insights Discovery language, these individuals lead with “blue energy.”

Others are creative idea generators. They like to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks (so to speak!). They enjoy talking out their thoughts and bouncing ideas off others. Generally, these people lead with “yellow energy.”

Additionally, a team might be comprised of “green energy” folks, who tend to be the most inclusive and empathetic of the four color energies. Their thinking often revolves around the greater good and how best to help people.

Then, there’s “red energy.” These individuals are action-oriented, so their thought process might go like this: “How can we get the best people on this project ASAP, and start delivering results?”

All these examples are, of course, generalizations (and I am very much glossing over what it means to lead with blue, yellow, green, and red energy), but the point I’m trying to illustrate is that people think, react, and process information in different ways. And that’s a good thing!

Can you imagine if everyone on your team was yellow energy-oriented and only enjoyed creative brainstorming? Maybe some of the ideas would bear fruit, but, without any data to back up the ideas, it’s difficult to know. On the other hand, data is absolutely critical for informing decisions, but data alone doesn’t create innovative solutions. You need a blend of both creativity and data.

So, when you’re making decisions on who to include on your team, take diversity of thought into consideration. Make an effort to include those who have different backgrounds and perspectives, diverse approaches, and various ways of looking at information or generating ideas. One way to identify thought diversity in your workplace is to utilize a science-based assessment program such as StrengthsFinder, DiSC, or (of course!) Insights Discovery.

If you’d like to learn more, send me a note.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 

HER NEW EBOOK IS CALLED A QUICK GUIDE TO COURAGE.

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August 3, 2022 4 Simple Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset

If there’s anything the last few years has taught us, it’s that life can change at the drop of a hat. Many people had to transition to a work from home environment with little notice, meetings were suddenly virtual, and kids were learning at home instead of in a classroom setting. Now, with the Great Resignation still in full swing, employers and business leaders are having to adapt and adjust to the needs of their teams. Life is fluid, and if you don’t want to be swept up in the current, you need to be flexible and adapt a growth mindset.

The term “growth mindset” was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, who described two main mindset categories: growth and fixed. Those with a growth mindset often see opportunities to learn, grow, and develop. They believe they can change when they need to and actively work toward making those changes. On the other hand, those with a fixed mindset generally believe they are unable to change, adapt, or evolve. They are more easily defeated by failures, and they tend to firmly resist change.

If you’re sometimes guilty of having a fixed mindset, that’s okay! It is possible to develop a growth mindset. It only takes time, tools, and the willpower to do so.

Let’s talk about 4 ways to develop your growth mindset…

1. Pay Attention to Your Thoughts

We all have an inner voice. It may be positive and encouraging, or it may be telling you things like, “You can’t,” “You’re not good enough,” or “This is just the way things are.” What is your inner voice telling you? If it tends to be more negative and defeatist, that’s a good sign you tend to have a fixed mentality. Once you’re aware of that, you can begin to talk back to your inner voice and begin to take on a more positive, growth-oriented mindset.

2. Reframe Failure

It’s easy to feel deflated by failure. No one likes to fail. However, it is possible to reframe failures as opportunities. Next time you’re faced with failure—a work project that flopped, a client that went with another company, an idea that didn’t get picked up—think about what you learned from the failure. What went wrong? How can you do things differently next time? Use these moments as chances to learn, redo, and move on.

3. Embrace Brain Plasticity

We used to think adult brains were somewhat rigid and fixed, but recent studies have shown that that’s not at all true. The brain is still malleable, even as an older adult. Even those who have experienced extreme brain trauma (such as a coma or major concussion) can retrain and essentially rewire their brains. That is the power of neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to adapt and reshape.

4. Use the Word “Yet”

Next time you catch yourself doubting your abilities or lamenting failure, add the word “yet” to the end of your sentence. For example:

I don’t understand computer coding…yet.

I can’t operate this machinery…yet.

I can’t speak Spanish…yet.

I haven’t reached my sales goals…yet.

This simple word connotes opportunity and helps you get in a positive frame of mind. Instead of feeling defeated, you give yourself a glimmer of opportunity. Maybe you haven’t achieved something yet, but success could be on the horizon.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 

HER NEW EBOOK IS CALLED A QUICK GUIDE TO COURAGE
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.

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