Leadership Role In Employee Retention

What do Google, Zappos, and Netflix have in common? Exceptional employee motivation. Steal this success sheet to learn how they do it: In the book "Drive," Daniel H. Pink talks about 3 levels of motivation: 🌟 Motivation 1.0: Basic survival instincts. 🌟 Motivation 2.0: Reward-and-punishment driven, effective for routine, algorithmic tasks. 🌟 Motivation 3.0: Intrinsically motivated behavior that’s self-directed and driven by deeper psychological needs. Here’s how you can implement Motivation 3.0 and transform your workplace: 1. Autonomy → Give them a voice in their work and decisions. → Flex hours and remote options aren’t perks; they’re necessities. → Fuel passion projects. Watch innovation soar! 2. Mastery → Invest in professional development. → Challenge your team, but provide support. → Constructive feedback isn’t criticism. It’s a growth tool. 3. Purpose → Show how each role contributes to the grand vision. → Align work with meaningful values. → Social impact projects aren’t just good PR; they give work a heart. 4. Recognition → Applaud successes, big and small. → Personalized appreciation speaks louder than bonuses. → Non-monetary rewards? They’re surprisingly powerful. 5. Environment → Collaboration, respect, and inclusivity aren’t optional. → Safety and balance are the bedrock of productivity. → Open dialogue fuels innovation and trust. 6. Continuous Improvement → Your employees’ ideas are gold mines. Dig in! → Encourage creativity; break the mold. → Change is not a threat; it’s an opportunity. 👉 Remember, at the heart of Motivation 3.0 lies a profound truth: When you tap into intrinsic motivation, you’re not just building a team. You’re cultivating leaders, innovators, and game-changers. P.S. Repost to help others lead better too ♻️.

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, leadership development can't afford to stand still. Just as we regularly upgrade our technology, we must consistently upgrade our leadership capabilities - but unlike a software update, leadership skills can't be installed overnight. Along with my colleagues Leslie Kawai and Erin Wilson Burns from The RBL Group, we've identified five essential strategies that are reshaping how organizations develop their leaders. Drawing from our Leadership Code Research Initiative findings, we explore evidence-based methods, expanded coaching access, personalized development approaches, stakeholder-focused assessments, and the critical need for strategic reflection time. These aren't just theoretical concepts - we've included real-world examples of organizations successfully implementing these strategies to build stronger leadership pipelines and drive measurable business results. I invite you to read our full article and share your experiences: Which of these five strategies has had the most impact in your organization? What other leadership development approaches are you finding effective in today's business environment? Let's learn from each other as we work to build the next generation of leaders. #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #HR #OrganizationalDevelopment

Culture is everything 🙏🏾 When leaders accept or overlook poor behaviour, they implicitly endorse those actions, potentially eroding the organisation’s values and morale. To build a thriving culture, leaders must actively shape it by refusing to tolerate behaviour that contradicts their values and expectations.
 The best leaders: 
 1. Define and Communicate Core Values: * Articulate Expectations: Clearly define and communicate the organisation’s core values and behavioural expectations. Make these values central to every aspect of the organisation’s operations and culture. * Embed Values in Policies: Integrate these values into your policies, procedures, and performance metrics to ensure they are reflected in daily operations. 
 2. Model the Behaviour You Expect: * Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behaviour you want to see in others. Your actions should reflect the organisation’s values, from how you interact with employees to how you handle challenges. 3. Address Poor Behaviour Promptly: * Act Quickly: Confront and address inappropriate behaviour as soon as it occurs. Delays in addressing issues can lead to a culture of tolerance for misconduct. * Apply Consistent Consequences: Ensure that consequences for poor behaviour are fair, consistent, and aligned with organisational values. This reinforces that there are clear boundaries and expectations.
 4. Foster a Culture of Accountability: * Encourage Self-Regulation: Promote an environment where everyone is encouraged to hold themselves and others accountable for their actions. * Provide Support: Offer resources and support for employees to understand and align with organisational values, helping them navigate challenges and uphold standards.
 5. Seek and Act on Feedback: * Encourage Open Communication: Create channels for employees to provide feedback on behaviour and organisational culture without fear of reprisal. * Respond Constructively: Act on feedback to address and rectify issues. This shows that you value employee input and are committed to maintaining a positive culture.
 6. Celebrate Positive Behaviour: * Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who exemplify the organisation’s values. Celebrating positive behaviour reinforces the desired culture and motivates others to follow suit. * Share Success Stories: Highlight examples of how upholding values has led to positive outcomes, reinforcing the connection between behaviour and organisational success.
 7. Invest in Leadership Development: * Provide Training: Offer training and development opportunities for leaders at all levels to enhance their skills in managing behaviour and fostering a positive culture. 8. Promote Inclusivity and Respect: * Build a Diverse Environment: Create a culture that respects and values diversity. Inclusivity strengthens the organisational fabric and fosters a more collaborative and supportive work environment.

Contrary to popular belief, motivation does not necessarily wane during challenging projects. In fact, it can be even stronger when people feel like they are working on something important. I experienced this firsthand when my team and I developed a proximity awareness application during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the tight deadlines and difficult working conditions, we were all motivated to get the product to market as quickly as possible because we thought it could help save lives. This experience demonstrated that motivation is not about the difficulty of the task, but about the sense of purpose it gives people. When people feel like they are making a difference, they are more likely to persevere through challenges and stay committed to their goals. Here are some tips for creating a sense of purpose in your team: ✅ Start with a clear vision. What are you trying to achieve? Why is it important? When people understand the big picture, they are more likely to feel invested in the project. ✅ Involve people in decision-making and planning. When people have a say in how things are done, they feel more ownership and are more likely to be motivated to succeed. ✅ Make it a team effort. People are more motivated when they are working towards a common goal with others. Create opportunities for team members to collaborate and support each other. ✅ Set challenging but achievable goals. People need to feel like they are stretching themselves, but they also need to believe that they can succeed. ✅ Give people time to recharge. People need to recharge their batteries in order to be productive. Make sure to schedule regular breaks and time off. By following these tips, you can create a work environment where people are motivated to do their best, even when the challenges are great. #management #leadership #triumphleadershipbook ________________________________________ ➡️ I am Talila Millman, a fractional CTO, and a management advisor. I help CEOs and their C-suite grow profit and scale through optimal Product portfolio and an operating system for Product Management and Engineering excellence. 📘 My book TRIUMPH: Leadership in Times of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity is to be published in 2024. The presale starts September 5.  🔔 Follow me and ring the bell on my profile to get notified of new posts

High-performing teams usually do great work together and get awesome results. But even high-performing teams can regress to just doing 'okay', or worse, underperforming. Pressure can bend a team backwards or forwards based on how the team responds to it. When a team, or even one person on the team, is overwhelmed by pressure, it can lead to stress, conflict, and burnout, causing the team to regress. However, if the team sees pressure as a challenge and has the right support and resources, it can boost their performance and growth. Effective managers and leaders play an important role in developing and sustaining a pressure-resistant team culture. They work at individual level as well as team level to build skills, encourage effective communication, and foster a strong sense of trust and respect among team members. Realistically, it's difficult to completely prevent people from feeling overwhelmed and stressed. While manager's can support the development of resilience in people and create supportive environments, individual reactions to stress vary greatly, and some factors are beyond their control. This makes it really important for leaders to watch out for signs of escalating stress, such as changes in performance, morale, or behavior. By recognizing these signs early, they can intervene with appropriate support or adjustments, helping to prevent more serious issues like burnout and maintaining a healthy, productive team dynamic. Understanding the Responder Stress Continuum can be helpful. This model, often used in high-stress professions, outlines four stress levels: Ready, Reacting, Injured, and Critical. Let's look at how this applies to our teams in the corporate world and the important role of managers and leaders. ✳ Ready: This is where we all want our teams to be - engaged, motivated, and stress-free. At this stage, teams are productive, innovative, and collaborative. It's where high performance happens. ⚠ Reacting: Here, stress starts creeping in. Maybe it's a tight deadline or a challenging project. Teams might still perform well, but there are signs of strain. Regular communication and coaching at both individual and team level are key at this stage to prevent escalation. ⚡ Injured: If stressors aren't managed, teams enter the 'Injured' stage. Performance dips, morale drops, and burnout risks increase. This is a critical point where targeted interventions are necessary to bring the team back to 'Ready'. 🛑 Critical: The stage we all want to avoid. Chronic stress has set in, leading to serious implications for health and performance. Recovery at this stage is difficult and requires significant time and resources. #teamwork #highperformingteams #teamdevelopment #leadership #leaders #manager #stressmanagement #teamdynamics #teameffectiveness Image Credit: Laura McGladrey and Responderalliance.com

Innovation is the lifeblood of progress, but it doesn’t happen by chance. It’s cultivated in environments where team members feel safe to share ideas and challenge the status quo. Creating a culture of innovation means nurturing an environment where bold ideas can flourish. It’s about openness, diverse perspectives, and the freedom to experiment. When people feel empowered to speak up, creativity thrives, and true innovation follows. So, how do you create such a culture? 1️⃣ Embed a Growth Mindset: Encourage continuous learning and development across all levels of the organization. Provide resources for professional growth and celebrate learning milestones, fostering an environment where knowledge and skills are constantly evolving. 2️⃣ Facilitate Cross-Functional Collaboration: Break down silos and encourage teams from different departments to work together. Cross-functional projects can bring fresh perspectives and spur innovative solutions that wouldn’t emerge in isolation. 3️⃣ Implement Structured Feedback Mechanisms: Establish regular feedback processes focused on constructive criticism and actionable insights. Ensure psychological safety so team members feel secure, viewing feedback as an opportunity for growth rather than critique. 4️⃣ Encourage Calculated Risks: Promote a culture where calculated risks are welcomed. Empower your team to explore new ideas and approaches without fear of failure. Recognize and reward innovative efforts, even when they don’t result in immediate success. By embedding these principles into your organizational culture, you can pave the way for continuous growth and success. Let’s create spaces where innovation is not just an aspiration but a tangible reality. #Leadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork

Let’s face it - current headlines spell a recipe for employee stress. Raging inflation, recession worries, international strife, social justice issues, and overall uncertainty pile onto already full work plates. As business leaders, keeping teams motivated despite swirling fears matters more than ever. Here are 5 strategies I lean into to curb burnout and boost morale during turbulent times: 1. Overcommunicate Context and Vision: Proactively address concerns through radical transparency and big picture framing. Our SOP is to hold quarterly all hands and monthly meetings grouped by level cohort and ramp up fireside chats and written memos when there are big changes happening. 2. Enable Flexibility and Choice: Where Possible Empower work-life balance and self-care priorities based on individuals’ needs. This includes our remote work policy and implementing employee engagement tools like Lattice to track feedback loops. 3. Spotlight Impact Through Community Stories: Connect employees to end customers and purpose beyond daily tasks. We leveled up on this over the past 2 years. We provide paid volunteer days to our employees and our People Operations team actively connects our employees with opportunities in their region or remotely to get involved monthly. Recently we added highlighting the social impact by our employees into our internal communications plan. 4. Incentivize Cross-Collaboration: Reduce silos by rewarding team-wide contributions outside core roles. We’ve increased cross team retreats and trainings to spark fresh connections as our employee base grows. 5. Celebrate the Humanity: Profile your employee’s talents beyond work through content spotlight segments. We can’t control the market we operate in, but as leaders we can make an impact on how we foster better collaboration to tackle the headwinds. Keeping spirits and productivity intact requires acknowledging modern anxieties directly while sustaining focus on goals ahead. Reminding your teams why the work matters and that they are valued beyond output unlocks loyalty despite swirling worries. What tactics succeeded at boosting team morale and preventing burnout spikes within your company amidst current volatility?

In many organizations, the introduction of positive changes is often met with initial enthusiasm and hope. These changes, ranging from new technologies and processes to innovative management practices, are implemented with the goal of improving efficiency, productivity, employee engagement etc. However, a common scenario unfolds over time... The initial momentum fades, and the organization gradually reverts to its old ways. 🤔 This regression can occur for various reasons, including changes in leadership, resistance to change, lack of deep integration into the organizational culture, or a workforce that isn't adequately trained or empowered to sustain these new practices. Despite the best intentions and efforts, these positive changes do not always become ingrained in the day-to-day operations of the company. As a result, the organization finds itself back at square one, often erasing the progress made and sometimes even regressing further. This cycle not only affects the immediate operational efficiency but can also have long-term implications for the organization's adaptability, employee morale, and overall competitiveness in an ever-evolving business landscape. Understanding why and how this happens is crucial for any organization looking to not just implement change, but to sustain it effectively over time. Therefore, developing strategies to address the challenges of sustaining change is not just about the successful implementation of new ideas. It’s about building an organizational ethos that embraces change, learns from its experiences, and continuously evolves, ensuring both immediate and long-term success in an ever-changing business landscape. To effectively sustain change in an organization, [1] Leaders should actively support and champion the change. Their commitment is crucial for setting the tone and ensuring the organization stays the course. [2] Embed the new practices into the organizational culture. Make them a part of the everyday workflow and the company's ethos. [3] Engage employees at all levels in the change process. Empower them to take ownership and contribute. [4] Offer adequate training and resources to help employees adapt to new methods and technologies. [5] Define clear, achievable goals and metrics to measure progress. [6] Regularly review how the changes are being adopted and reinforce them as needed. Sustaining change is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. This understanding is vital for ensuring that the time, effort, and resources invested in implementing new changes yield long-term benefits rather than temporary improvements. ✅ Share this to your network ✅ Follow me on LinkedIn for expert insights ★ DM me for a conversation to learn how we can help you grow & succeed #business #people #leadership #management #growth #success #innovation #change #transformation

One critical relationship I’ve been exploring is the connection between social capital and career development. Social capital is vital because much of our learning and growth depends on the support, guidance, and opportunities provided by others. The extent to which you have—and can leverage—social capital directly impacts your ability to gain the experiences, exposure, and expertise necessary for career progression. As a leader, how can you help your employees build social capital to excel in their roles and advance their careers? Here are a few actionable areas to focus on: ✅ Relationships: Ensure your employees build connections with key stakeholders or influential leaders essential to their success. ✅ Opportunities: Advocate for them to gain access to meaningful projects or roles where they can showcase their skills and grow. ✅ Exposure: Act as their "megaphone," amplifying their great work so it gets the recognition it deserves. ✅ Resources: Provide the tools, budget, or approvals they need to perform at their best. ✅ Credibility: Support new or less-experienced employees by vouching for them, helping them earn trust and acceptance from others. By focusing on these areas, you can help unlock opportunities and unleash your employees' full potential. What other strategies have you found effective in building social capital? #leadership #managers #socialcapital

Incentives can be a powerful tool to motivate and guide teams toward success. However, it's crucial to understand that the force of incentives is akin to a double-edged sword—capable of propelling us toward greatness or leading us astray. I led the The Disruption Project at Vanderbilt University over the last few years. One critical insight from our studies highlights the profound relationship between Incentives and Inertia, revealing how strategic incentives can effectively overcome the inertia that hampers progress and innovation. The Four Ps of Well-Designed Incentives: 1. Put You into Motion: Sparking motivation and enthusiasm within a team, transforming inertia into action. 2. Propel You Forward: Serving as a continuous fuel source, driving teams to exceed expectations and achieve milestones. 3. Prevent You from Stopping: Providing resilience and determination in the face of challenges, keeping the focus on the end goal. 4. Pivot You in the Right Direction: Acting as a compass, guiding teams toward the most valuable and impactful activities. The Four Ss of Poorly Aligned Incentives: 1. Strip You of Motivation: When incentives are misaligned with personal values or objectives, they can demoralize and disengage. 2. Stop You in Your Tracks: Poorly designed incentives can lead to confusion and misdirection, halting progress. 3. Silo Your Efforts: Incentives focused on individual achievement can undermine teamwork, creating isolated silos. 4. Spur You to Do What Isn't Right: Incentives that reward the wrong behaviors can tempt unethical actions, jeopardizing integrity and success. The disruptive power of incentives is undeniable. Yet, wielding this power effectively requires designing incentives that drive action in the right direction and for the right reasons. Organizations that master the art of aligning incentives with their core values and goals can unlock unprecedented levels of innovation, commitment, and achievement. Get Ready to Disrupt Everything! Patrick #disrupteverything #disruption #incentives