This article is an excerpt from Illuminate, a Direct Agents’ publication. Access the full magazine here.
The Great Resignation – what a daunting name for the phenomenon many companies are currently experiencing. After a year on pause, it only made sense that the normal attrition we should have seen in 2020 would be pushed to 2021. What we didn’t fully expect was the extent of how the changing world would shift our personal values and affect the ways we choose to live and work.
A LinkedIn article, “The Reinvention of Company Culture,” recently called this period The Great Reshuffle. This is a more accurate term because the majority of what we’re seeing is people resigning and going to work somewhere else. So while we’re seeing people go, we’re also gaining new team members.
While it’s more accurate, both terms are passive, as if this phenomenon is just something that is happening out of our control, instead of considering the opportunities that we’re being presented as culture builders. I prefer to look at this time as The Great Reset. As individual values shift, we should reexamine ours as companies. What does our ideal culture look like and how can we get there? Instead of just focusing on numbers, let’s truly see who is leaving. What were they adding to our culture, where did they detract? If we lose an A player, that’s attrition, but losing a B or C player? That’s an opportunity.
We also need to see who is staying. Were there potential A players in the shadows that we now have the opportunity to shine? How can we further foster their development and fast-track their growth?
While it’s frustrating to feel like we’re playing a never-ending game of staffing whack-a-mole, let’s not waste more time wallowing on The Great Resignation. Let’s step back, reset, and act on the possibilities for change and growth.