In the book The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave by Leigh Branham published by the American Management Association, NY, 2012, Mr. Branham outlines the reasons why people leave. based on what over 20,000 people who were asked by their companies said. In terms of management, by having better management or good management which translate into low turnover, no matter the industry and sector, the company saves money. If it has a high turnover, it wastes both money and people.

Reason # 3 Too Little Coaching and Feedback

When you think of the shift of organization’s from a hierarchal society or pyramid to a flatter one or step up; the technology came first the people came second. When there was a hierarchal organization coaching was little considered at until you reached the executive ranks, and ideas only came from executives (until the company lost money then asked all employees for ideas). As companies became flatter and ideas mattered from all, coaching and feedback become more important. Anyone can have an idea, how to implement it needs coaching and feedback.

Why Coaching and feedback are important: Where are we going as a company? 2. How are we getting there? 3. How do you expect me to contribute? 4 How am I doing?

Giving good feedback and coaching is about more than a series of meetings – it is about managers and employees building an open and trusting relationship. It takes time and both have to trust each other that they are working for the best of the each other. This makes it complex and having the “right” manager for the employee.

Possible solutions

Provide intensive feedback and coaching to new hires. Not just the first day, but ensure there is a program for all the first week.

Create a culture of continuous feedback and coaching. Feedback not does only occur on the yearly performance – do it every day. Employees can ask for feedback.

Train managers in performance coaching. The reality is managers need training and it to get a promotion a person needs to be a good coach as well as manager.

Make the performance-management process less controlling and more of a partnership

Terminate nonperformers when best efforts to coach or reassign do not pay off. Coaching involves the manager’s time; at some point given the partnership will fail and the person should be let go. It is up each company to figure where the point is; a past view was the bottom 10%. However if an effort has been made to do coaching and the results are not showing,

Hold managers accountable for coaching and giving feedback. If 60% of the manager’s time is spent fixing people problems or coaching, then how they are doing should be part of their performance evaluation. The ideal is from Jack Welch: 4 types of managers 1 – treats employees with respect and makes their numbers are keepers; 2- treats employees with respect and does not make the numbers (keep and coach); 3- does not treat people with respect and does not make the numbers (fire); and 4- makes numbers and does not treat people with respect. Do not promote and try coaching, if still does not treat people with respect let go. The reason is they drive people out of the door.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, the coaching and feedback for organizations take years to build up because changing to coaching takes time. However if the employee turnover is very low, then the company is saving money by not spending on the revolving door. If people are treated with respect they will be more productive and that is a good thing for the continuing profit.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.