The Fear Factor

If it was a little late for you, or if you’ve never had a boss do that, you’re not alone. In fact, less than 10 percent of employees have had a boss tell them how much they matter, let alone ask what will keep them engaged and on the team.

Instead, well-intentioned bosses just keep guessing. And they often guess wrong. They guess you want a promotion when you really want to learn something new. Or they guess you want a raise when you’d prefer more time off to be with your family.

Stop guessing and start conducting stay interviews with anyone you hope to keep engaged and on your team. This strategy is so simple and so foundational to all other engagement strategies. Yet managers often avoid this kind of asking. Why is that? Most often, it’s the fear factor.