Here’s the short answer: Change your culture from a “work is everything” motto to a
“life is everything” motto and mean it. Treat your employees as the holistic, life seeking,
joy seeking humans that they are. Give them interesting work and then insist that they
only do that work for eight or fewer hours a day. Tell them to leave their desks for lunch
and to take at least two other breaks throughout the day.
Give your employees outrageous (at least for Americans) time off to have their children
and to spend time with those children. Give both genders time off to be parents and
caregivers. Don’t count people’s hours, but rather tell them what is expected of them,
including reasonable timelines. Then get out of their way. Checking to make sure
people are online at all moments is unnecessary if you trust people to get their work
done and get it done well. Expect the best out of people while showing them that you
care that they are happy and healthy outside of work and you will see teams that
flourish.
If burnout, anxiety, and overwhelm are your corporate culture, change it or be ready to
lose your best people. The vast majority of us are not doing lifesaving work. (Those that are deserve lots of breaks and time off.) So why are we pushing people to the edge of their mental wellness when there isn’t a true reason to do so? As one of my
wise clients recently said, “I’m not standing over an operating table.”
Trust that when you give your employees the time and space to be with the people that
they love most and to do the out- of- work activities that they love, then they will work
hard for you. They will work wisely, and they will stay. Happy employees make for a
happy, efficient, and profitable organization. Prove me wrong, I dare you. Turnover
is frustrating and expensive. People leave because of the culture and because of poor
leadership.
If you want your employees to stay, treat them in a way that will motivate them to do so.
As a matter of fact, treat yourself that way. Loyalty for an organization comes from
leaders who believe that happy, less stressed employees will make that organization a
better one. No job is worth our mental or physical health. No job is worth giving up time
with those people and activities that we love. The wise leader runs an organization
knowing and supporting that truth.
Love,
Certified Professional Coach and Psychologist
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How often have you wished for that person in your life who listens deeply, doesn’t judge you, and doesn’t try to fix you? That person who holds space for you to talk through your struggles, your hopes, and dreams so that you can live the personal and professional life that you truly want? I’m that person. Yes, I’m a psychologist and a professional life and leadership coach but my superpower is listening, deep, empathic, compassionate listening. If you’ve been seeking a professional listener who will help you live the life you truly desire, let’s set up a time to talk. My email is Lisa@LisaKaplin.com.