6 signs you might be the reason your employees are quitting
By Ed Krow
No boss wants to admit that they are the reason for their team’s issues, but if you’re experiencing recurring morale and retention problems, you might want to look inward for the cause. According to members of Forbes Coaches Council, here are some clear signs that it’s not your employees—it’s you.
1. Your employees’ schedules are shifting.
Watch what your employees are doing and, especially, when they are doing it. If they never arrive early, always leave right on time, look for any excuse to take a break of any sort and take their time to park their cars in a spot that facilitates a quick exit, then the issue is with the leadership. If you are their leader, the responsibility is yours. — Peter Jansen, Radio Latino Inc.
2. Your team acts robotic.
The answer to the question of “Is it me?” will be written on the faces of your employees. If the people you interact with on a daily basis are stone-faced, stiff and robotic, it could point to a motivation problem and unhappiness within your organization. By creating a culture that is motivated and enjoyable, people will be smiling more often, laughing together and enjoying the camaraderie. — Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
3. Unexpected and unwanted behaviors keep cropping up.
When there is a trend of certain unexpected and unwanted behaviors, a boss should question their own management style. It could be a few employees are no longer delivering the quality of work that they used to. It could be they turn up late. It could be complaints by some in the team, directly or indirectly, with the manager. Calling in sick often and leaving the organization is the norm. — Amy Nguyen, Happiness Infinity LLC
4. You’ve lost your influence over your team.
John Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.” If a boss looks in the mirror and finds that they can no longer influence the behavior of the team, they are the problem. It’s time to reconnect with your staff and determine what they need and aren’t getting from you. Only then can you begin to change and be the leader the staff needs to drive results. — Ed Krow, Ed Krow, LLC
5. Your customers are complaining about your staff or results.
Bosses often have blind spots that cause them to overlook salient points that employees try to tell them. Survey results, high turnover and bad morale shine a spotlight on undesirable boss behaviors. Ultimately, the best indicator of a struggling boss is customer feedback. When customers take notice of negative personnel patterns and negative results, bosses must finally catch on or bug off. — Lillian Gregory, The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence
6. Nobody disagrees with each other.
I had a CEO tell me, “No one disagrees in team meetings—I have a great team; they are totally aligned.” Unfortunately, head nodding and quick resolutions are often cited as surefire evidence that “this is a great meeting!” However, it’s often a case of a lack of a “safe” environment where team members feel they can call out each other, or you as the team leader. — Henryk Krajewski, Anderson Leadership Group, Inc.
Ed Krow is an author, speaker and HR strategist. Find out more about his work at www.edkrow.com.
