It happens, probably more
often than CEOs would care to
admit, but it happens. You arrive at the office one day
expecting the litany of the usual
brush fires to deal with, but
instead, find a real blazer — one
of your key employees has submitted his or her resignation, and
you were caught by surprise.
When that occurs, it’s most
likely because you thought you knew your
employee’s mindset, but you didn’t. You
incorrectly assumed the person was happy
with his or her job and committed to it, but
sometime between the last time you
checked and now, the situation changed.
Suddenly, you and your company are
unprepared to fill in the gap left behind,
and you’re facing serious headaches or, in
some cases, minor panic.
So what can you do to ensure you don’t
find yourself in this scenario?
Plenty. Not only can you develop a plan that allows you and
your team to step in seamlessly
when a key employee or member of your senior management
team leaves, but you can also
take steps that let you accurately predict whether or not you’ve
got someone on the precipice of
walking out the door.
The contingency plan is probably the easiest. For that, simply determine
who among your team will absorb specific
tasks that allow you to meet short-term
goals. But to become a great prognosticator — or at least appear like one — when it
comes to employee actions, you’ll need to
think a bit more strategically.
First, increase the frequency of how often
you or your senior managers meet, as well
as how often they meet with staff members
for reviews or regular updates. If you’re like
a growing number of executives nationwide, the annual performance review has
morphed from a once-a-year occasion to
something a bit more regular — quarterly
or twice annual meetings. Departmentally,
many managers now meet weekly or twice
monthly with key staff members to gauge
what’s going on beyond whether production schedules are being met.
These regular meetings not only provide
an opportunity to let members of the team
know where they stand — something they
truly appreciate — but they also offer insight
to employees’ perspectives of their jobs.
If that proactive mentality becomes
ingrained in your corporate culture, then
everybody wins. Nobody should be left
unaware of a brewing employee resignation,
and your company will always be prepared to
move forward without the slightest hesitation.
Contact Editor Dustin Klein at [email protected]