Many business owners and leaders have an exciting vision for the future of their business.
A vision that inspires new people to join them on their journey.
But despite this exciting future, these businesses can
still struggle to retain employees.
Why?
Well, it’s all very well having a great vision for your
future, but that’s pretty useless if your staff don’t know
what is happening on a day-to-day basis.
At any one time, your team MUST know what the key
priorities are for your business, and then what their role
is within those priorities.
So how do you ensure that you have a team that is engaged
and motivated?
Here are 6 steps to follow:
1. Clearly define the 3 Year Vision
- It is not sufficient to have some great ideas for the
future in your head
- You need to write down your vision for the future
- Where will the business be in 3 years’ time?
- What products, what type of customers, what level of
sales and profitability?
- Whether this is written, typed or you have something
visual is up to you, but it must be clearly specified for
your team to be totally engaged with your long term plans
2. Have a clear 12 month plan
- What needs to happen over the next 12 months to keep you
on track?
- What are the key milestones & priorities?
- Has this been communicated to the team?
3. Make it real for your team
- What does this mean for them as individuals?
- What effect will it have on their jobs and careers?
- How does it affect their day-to-day duties?
4. Regularly review the plan with your team
- Block out times in your diary each quarter to review the
plan with your team
- Ensure that on a week-to-week basis that people
understand these priorities and how they fit into the
overall direction you are heading
5. If the goal posts move – tell them!
- Things will always change based on changes in the
marketplace, new opportunities and indeed your own
impulses!
- Make sure your team know about these changes and (where
possible) the reasons for the change
- The minute you don’t communicate this, you lose trust and
your team start losing motivation
- Such a disengaged team is the foundation for staff
turnover
6. Tell your team what you don’t know
- Given the rapidly changing world we live in, there will
always be elements of uncertainty that come with change
- To retain people, your job is to reduce this level of
uncertainty where possible
- But sometimes you don’t know what is around the corner
because you haven’t figured it out yourself!
- But that’s ok, just be upfront and honest with your
employees where possible
Being honest shows you have no ‘hidden agendas’ and will
help keep your team keep focused on their job and keep
trust in you
Having a plan, communicating it clearly and then being open
and upfront about what is going on in your business will
always help you build trust.
It will also illustrate that you value your people
sufficiently to take the time communicate things every step
of the way.
Trusting an employer and feeling valued are two of the most
critical success factors when it comes to employee
retention.
You can be as ambitious and ‘blue skies’ as you like about
your future vision.
But if you don’t take the necessary steps to engage your
team now, you will lose your best people – and with it the
ability to realise your future goals.
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Sital Ruparelia, The Recruitment & Retention Specialist,
works with businesses that struggle with recruitment and
retention issues and helps them implement strategies proven
to Find & Keep The Right People consistently.
To receive further tips and advice on Finding & Keeping The
Right People, sign up to our FREE twice-monthly newsletter
at: http://www.authenticresourcing.com
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