Challenge #1: As a manager, do your direct reports see you as approachable, or do you unknowingly evoke a sense of avoidance?
But wait, before you answer that question, you should also know that 95% of leaders think they have accurate perceptions about how they’re perceived, but only 10-15% of these leaders have an accurate perception, according to Tasha Eurich, Ph.D., an organizational psychologist, and New York Times bestselling author.
Since it is highly likely your perceptions are not 100% accurate, let’s focus on how leaders can improve how others perceive them and create an environment where direct reports want to engage their leader.
Solution: We have provided a wide range of clients an opportunity to enhance how their direct reports view them. Our work is based on SCARF, A brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others, first published in the NeuroLeadership Journal in 2008.
Let’s keep this simple. There are five ways you can make an immediate impact to reduce turnover:
- Please demonstrate that you recognize the importance of your direct reports and their impact on the organization.
- Create a sense of certainty in your team. Uncertainty breeds fear and will cripple your team.
- Don’t be an overbearing boss. Give your direct reports more space, so they perceive they have a greater sense of control in their jobs.
- Create an inclusive environment to foster a sense of relatedness between all team members.
- Create a sense of fairness by increasing transparency, communication, and involvement in business issues.
Challenge #2: Be aware of quick-acting triggers that can result in someone abruptly leaving the organization in a short matter of days.
Here are the two most common turnover triggers that we see in our daily work with clients:
- Not receiving an expected promotion.
- Lack of flexibility for hybrid and remote work options.
Solution: Managers involved with their teammates should anticipate these issues and discuss with their employee ways of counteracting the problem. Typically, this is best done when the manager can be transparent about what has happened and plan a future course of action that gives the employee some hope for a better situation.
Challenge #3: Managers that can tailor the employee experience for each direct report will result in their team having a much higher level of job satisfaction. These employees are being given the flexibility to perform their job functions to satisfy their behavioral needs. When this happens, these highly engaged and satisfied employees become psychologically committed to the organization's success.
Solution:Seek commitment from your team, not their compliance. People that merely comply are at work to draw a paycheck. Those that are deeply committed will go beyond the call of duty. Committed employees boost the productive output of the team excellently.
We utilize The Predictive Index Management Strategy Guide, which provides a tailored list of strategies based on the employee’s behavioral preferences, as depicted above. This list of strategies is used to help provide the employee with a job environment that favors their preferences. The underlying philosophy is to meet the needs of each employee. It is pretty simple once you have a system to administer this process.
There are some simple ways to help your employees understand that you have a sincere interest in their development and job satisfaction. Your willingness to demonstrate this in your leadership and management of your team will help you and your team attain a higher level of satisfaction and productive output.
Are you willing to commit to improving your leadership and become a Top Ten Percent Leader?