Top 3 Takeaways from Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em in Today’s World of Work

What a pleasure it was to connect with my friend and career development trailblazer, Dr. Beverly Kaye this month. Bev literally wrote the book on retention and engagement and our hour together flew by and she shared so many great frameworks and practical models. Be sure to check out the recording and in the meantime, here are my top 3 takeaways:

1. Forget exit interviews. Do a stay interview. Often, we learn why employees are leaving when it’s too late. Bev shared with us the idea of flipping the script and asking our team members why they stay. A stay interview is a great way to learn about your new team as you onboard and it’s a great practice to ensure that you have your finger on the pulse about what your colleagues value about the company, their work and even you as their leader.
2. Ask ‘what else’? One of the reasons managers shy away from career conversations is the fear that their direct report may ask for something they can’t provide like that big promotion or more money. Instead of avoiding those types of conversations, Bev recommends a supportive approach with a dose of reality checking. If you can’t do something, acknowledge it but then ask what else you can do to help the person feel fulfilled. Bev’s rule of thumb is to ask ‘what else’ three times to get people to consider possibilities beyond their current thinking.
3. Think kaleidoscope not microscope. Speaking of opening up possibilities, Bev had a great analogy of thinking about looking at your career through a kaleidoscope instead of a microscope. When we tilt a kaleidoscope a little bit, the entire picture changes. As we consider managing our own careers, being open to new possibilities and ways of thinking can reap unexpected results.

You can learn more about Bev’s work by visiting her website and download 26 Ways to Show Love to Your Team and Build the Career Conversation Habit to get some practical tips on how you can up your career conversation game. And be sure to head to Indigo and pick up a copy of Bev’s bestselling book Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em.

See you in September when Ask the Expert comes back after a summer hiatus for a conversation with Dr. Karin Hurt. We’ll be discussing Karin’s new book Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict. It’s going to be juicy!