This is Why People Really Quit Their Jobs

You’ve probably heard the expression that people are only as good as the company they keep. Well, the reverse is also true: a company is only as good as the people it keeps.

As a leadership coach and business consultant I have the privilege of seeing many organizations through a lens that most people don’t, because leaders are busy leading and managers are busy managing and people are busy doing their jobs so the big picture gets hard to see. People may be unhappy and want to leave without even knowing why. If you’re experiencing more turnover than you’d like, think about why people are leaving. Here are some of the top reasons:

They don’t like their boss. Most bad bosses aren’t bad people; they’re good people with certain weaknesses. They may micromanage, bully employees, avoid conflict, duck decisions, steal credit, shift blame, hoard information, fail to listen, set a poor example, goof off, or fail to invest in developing their team. A boss with a major weak spot can leave their entire team feeling unhappy and unproductive.

They don’t get to make use of their strengths. It’s a terrible but common disservice to hire someone talented and then ignore their abilities. The best companies create multiple opportunities for people to use and develop their talents. If you fail to do so, you drive away your most gifted and high-performing employees. Stay in touch with all the amazing things people can do and find ways for them to use those abilities.

There’s no plan for professional development. Workplaces that retain top people give them access to meaningful learning opportunities—they enable people to be energized by their projects, to perform at their best, and to advance their skills and move forward professionally. When you care about your employees’ happiness and success, in their career and in life, they end up with a better job and you end up with an energized team.

There’s no room for advancement. The best companies and leaders make it a point to have their managers work with people to create career opportunities that mesh with their goals and personal priorities. This deep level of support gives people confidence and motivation, making them not only more effective and productive but happier and more loyal.

They’re exposed to dysfunction. Dysfunction saps even the best employees—it distracts them from their work, keeps them on edge, and drains their energy. No one can excel under those conditions. The best leaders do away with dysfunction within their own area and shield their people from the dysfunction they can’t control.

They feel unappreciated. We all have a human need to be appreciated for our efforts, so when you don’t notice your employees’ contributions—if they feel undervalued on an ongoing basis—they’ll soon wonder why they bother to show up at all, let alone excel. And they’ll leave at the first sign of an opportunity where their talents and hard work will be appreciated.

Lead from within: If something isn’t working for your people, it isn’t working. Make it right or risk losing your best performers.

 


 

N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Photo Credit: iStock Photos


Lolly Daskal is one of the most sought-after executive leadership coaches in the world. Her extensive cross-cultural expertise spans 14 countries, six languages and hundreds of companies. As founder and CEO of Lead From Within, her proprietary leadership program is engineered to be a catalyst for leaders who want to enhance performance and make a meaningful difference in their companies, their lives, and the world.

Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.

  1. Doug Brienzo

    11. Dec, 2018

    Through all of the adversity, Lolly is living proof of everything she writes… and believes. I am one of the countless admirers inspired by all that she represents.
    I have read her books over and over and will continue to do so.

    Reply to this comment
  2. William Ockham

    31. Jan, 2019

    Great summary of why many businesses struggle with talent attrition. Showing appreciation for team contributors is key to secure retention. In my experience, an appreciative and caring boss will outweigh low salaries, slow development paths, lack of advancement and general dysfunction, most of the time. However, a great boss will eliminate all of the above reasons to leave.

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