Employee Retention - 20 March 2007

You're really busy. I know it, you know it, your team knows it. But here's the problem. Your "busyness" is a major driver of your employee turnover. Here's why. Long before someone resigns, disengagement sets in. But we're often so consumed by operational activities that it's easy for us to miss the symptoms of disengagement. These can include changes in behaviour, withdrawal from peers, an increase in complaints, and a decline in performance. It's the same reason why it's illegal now in Australia to drive while using a mobile phone. Sure, we think we know what's going on, but really, if we're typing messages or talking while driving, it's difficult to be focused enough to notice a pedestrian running quickly across the road or a car unexpectedly changing lanes. And the result? A crash.

It's the same at work. When we're so busy doing operational stuff such as writing reports, going to meetings, and working on systems, the first thing we give up is the time we spend with our teams, and as soon as we do this, we're not focused enough to notice the disengagement warning signs that lead to an exodus of staff. And the result? A crash.

And if we do notice these signs, it's often too late. By now, their resumes are already polished, they're going for interviews, and in a tight labour market such as ours, job offers are coming through thick and fast.

So how do we become less busy doing the irrelevant and more busy doing the important? Delegate - your team is probably hungry for the additional responsibility and variety; Outsource - get an external company to do what's stealing your time; Prioritise - determine whether that report is really more important than spending 15 minutes with your team; and Explain to your managers that your workload is taking your focus away from your staff.

Taking your eyes off the road, or your team, is just too much of a risk.

To subscribe to James's Employee Engagement Newsletter and receive complimentary e-books valued at over $100, please click here.