Not as catchy as Sleepless in Seattle, however it’s early here, and I’m sleepy, ergo the title. Yes, I wrote “ergo”. Remember I’m a six year latin student, and it’s hard squeezing a dead language into the sentence…

Anyways…
As I wrote last week, I’m starting the next phase of my speaking tour, conducting a seminar yesterday at the SHRM of New Mexico state conference. My speech, Crack the Code, Create Effective Manager-Employee Relationships was attended by about 125 folks, all the seats were filled, and there were a bunch of people standing in the back of the room. This speech is based off of my new book A Managers Guide to Employee Engagement, and this was the third time I have given the speech.

As they say, the third time’s the charm.

I got a standing ovation before I even started. Granted, I begged and pleaded for it, but still it’s a great way to start a speech.

As you can tell by the title, the speech revolves around the notion of Employees Quit a Boss, Not a Company. During the speech I provide keys to engaging 10 different groups of employees, from under-performers to transferred or promoted employees; from superstars to mid-career employee; and from temporary workers to employees with special needs.

It’s pitiful to realize less than half of all employees regularly attend training programs related to their job (46%) while only six in ten believe that qualified employees are allowed to transfer to better jobs.

It makes total sense to me. Why would supervisors and managers willingly provide training and transfers/promotions to qualified employees when losing their best workers may negatively impact their groups productivity. Why wouldn’t a manager, who is paid and bonused for getting “more from less” resist taking money out of their own pocket? If you want people to change behaviors, you have to use a carrot and a stick… and here they are:

When employees feel positively about the relationship they have with their supervisor, they are three times more likely to be Fully Engaged and 2 1/2 times more likely to stay, even if offered slightly more money to go somewhere else…  NICE CARROT!

When employees do not feel positively about the relationship they have with their supervisor, they are five times more likely to be Unengaged, and four times more likely not to work hard.  That is a heck of a stick.  

Remember, you have to train your supervisors so they can lead… or else they’ll leave.  And so will their direct reports.

…off to denver!

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