I was reminded recently that it isn’t the next great talent that you find but the one that’s already in your organization that you’re able to keep that really counts. Think about all the time you spend writing the perfect job ad to attract the best candidates. Then you must screen dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes to line up a handful of interviews. If you’re lucky, that first round of interviews will produce a few candidates worthy of a second or third look — and ultimately someone worthy of hiring. If not, you’ll have to start the process all over again.
Why is it then that we as managers think that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence? Maybe it’s a bit like marriage. Now I know I might be treading on thin ice here, but I’ve been married for 22 years so give me a little room with this one. I can tell you that if you’re not careful, it’s easy to take your spouse for granted. You get to the point where it’s easy to forget all of your partner’s positive traits and dwell on the little things that get on your nerves. You get so comfortable with the other person that you lose track of what really made them special enough for you to choose them in the first place.
I think it can be like that with employees. Remember, the people on your team are largely those whom you’ve chosen. They’ve gone through that strenuous process that I described above, and they came out on top. So why is it that you’ve become disenchanted with some of those “can’t miss” budding superstars you hired just a few years ago?
Often it’s because you’ve gotten used to them and, let’s face it, everyone has their faults and weaknesses. So you’ve spent a few years managing them, learned their strengths and weaknesses, and after time have come to the conclusion that there has to be someone even better out there.
I’ll let you in on a little secret — nobody’s perfect. Now I’m not advocating ignoring a problem employee. If you’ve got an issue that must be dealt with, then deal with it. There are times when you’ve made a mistake in hiring and you must fire someone. My hope is that not only is that a rare occurrence, but that it is a painful one for you as well. What I’m talking about is all those other people on your team: good employees who contribute and produce results for you and your organization. But they’re not perfect so you start thinking, even believing, that you could find someone better to take their place.
The thing is that your job as a manager is to help those people grow. If nobody’s perfect, then it means we all have areas that we must improve. As a manager, you can’t get in the habit of tossing your existing employees in the proverbial scrap heap and replacing them with someone else. You need to teach, coach, mentor, and counsel your charges. You need to help them reach the potential you saw in them the day you hired them. I think every organization has unpolished diamonds just waiting to shine. Someone just needs to take the time to smooth the edges and bring out the luster. Sure it takes some work, but it will pay tremendous dividends.
Don’t overlook the talent you already have on your team. And if you have great people in your organization who aren’t being provided adequate opportunity, make sure you change their situation and do it fast. I worked in an organization that had one such person. We had a young woman in the company whom members of senior management had identified as a real rising star. I was on my way out of the office late one evening and noticed the light was still on in her office. Not surprising as she had a reputation as a hard worker. I stuck my head in her office door to shoo her out of the building, and as I did so, I noticed her slip a few sheets of paper into a file. She tried, but I’d already seen that it was her resume she was trying to hide. I made small talk for a few minutes and left her office. What to do?
I decided to pull her into my office and let her know that I’d seen that she was working on her resume. I asked her why she was looking. She shared her frustrations about lack of opportunity and a boss who took credit for her work. I asked her about the job she was pursuing and what made it attractive. Then I took a risk. I encouraged her to go on the interview but asked that she come back to talk to me about it after it was over. I told her that she was someone management had their eyes on and I’d hate to lose her. On the other hand, I thought she owed it to herself to see what this other job might offer. She did as she promised and came to see me after the interview. We talked about the job offer. (Yes, they offered her the job. They were obviously good judges of talent.) And then I went about selling her on staying with us. I told her that senior management recognized the quality of her work and that an opportunity would be opening up for her within the next three months. If she’d trust me and stay with us, she would be rewarded. Well, she stayed with the company, and I can tell you that today she’s one of the top people in that organization.
I tell this story for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a reminder that we all have talented people just dying for the opportunity to prove themselves. Second, good people always have opportunities elsewhere. You need to care and nurture your people or they’ll leave for greener pastures. Third, if you tolerate poor leadership in your organization, it could be costing you valuable talent. And, finally, don’t wait until someone has a foot out the door before you give them their due. I was lucky that day when I saw that resume. You might not get that same chance, so don’t let it get to that point.
Look hard at the people you manage. Remember why you chose them to be part of your team. Make sure you’ve done everything you can to nurture and develop them before you go looking for someone better to take their place. You might be surprised at how well you did in hiring if you just give them a chance.
I asked for a raise from my manager at a company I used to work for only to be told that it wasn’t in the budget and they couldn’t possibly afford to give me a raise (my manager didn’t even inquire into how much I was asking for). A couple of weeks later I accepted a job with a different company doing essentially the same work for the money I had wanted with the raise I had asked for. When I gave my manager my resignation she said that if it was about money they might be able to work something out….
Really? She should have taken the time to listen to my request and evaluate if I was worth the increase before dismissing me right away. By the time I found and accepted a position with another company it was too late. It was no longer just about the money, it was about my manager taking my talent for granted and not appreciating that she had someone worth keeping until it was too late.
I like this point… “The thing is that your job as a manager is to help those people grow. If nobody’s perfect, then it means we all have areas that we must improve. As a manager, you can’t get in the habit of tossing your existing employees in the proverbial scrap heap and replacing them with someone else. You need to teach, coach, mentor, and counsel your charges. You need to help them reach the potential you saw in them the day you hired them.”
Managers need training also, training on how to train and nurture the employees under their supervision.
“First, it’s a reminder that we all have talented people just dying for the opportunity to prove themselves. Second, good people always have opportunities elsewhere. You need to care and nurture your people or they’ll leave for greener pastures. Third, if you tolerate poor leadership in your organization, it could be costing you valuable talent.”
If an employee is not successful, then it is not only the employees failure, it’s the managers failure, and this of course equals losses somewhere in the company.
Shannon