The Leading Edge - Fall 2007 - (Page 14)

Q&A in a nutshell by Chris de Santis COnSIdERATIOnS IF An EMPLOYEE IS ABOUT TO JUMP SHIP Q: one of my best staff members told me he is considering a competitor’s offer, including a 10 percent salary bump and an extra week vacation. This person adds more value than almost any other staff person. i really want to keep him and can afford it. However, how do i deal with the other staff—i can’t afford to increase everyone’s salaries or give more vacation? opportunity? Does he or she know his or her future worth at the present employer? If not, why not? Let’s return to the systemic issues. Are you the type of manager who creates a favorable climate in which to work? If your best and brightest are willing to move on for 10 percent, are you really creating the kind of workplace that tethers people to the organization? The larger question is: do you know what is important to your people relative to making them both productive and happy in their work? If you cannot answer the question or worse, if you do not care on either or both counts, then you will forever be playing a numbers game. Having said that, I know that some businesses only want bodies, not minds. If you are in that sort of business, I am not of a mind to help. I have a deep-seated belief that the whole person should be engaged; the mind, the heart, and the body. There is dignity in all work and people who perform it should be treated well and with respect regardless of the status, or lack thereof, that the work entails. Create a work environment that is unassailable by the competition, engaging the whole person and nurturing the best and brightest. Back to your original concern—I have been preaching and you have a problem that needs solving—here’s a fix that might work. Monetize the person’s contribution relative to how much more he brings in or compare to colleagues’ results and reward him with a percentage of the difference. Once this bar is set you will then be able to reward anybody who rises to this level of performance as you will know his or her worth to the company. As for the week off, focus on results and have clearly executable goals. Work to set clear parameters as to when the work needs to be delivered and to what level of quality. Allow people who meet or exceed their goals before the deadlines to bank the time saved or take some portion of it back as free-time. You get what you want sooner at no additional charge as the time was allocated and they get an additional incentive for delivering quality work before a deadline. The key here is to be accurate in your assessment of what it actually takes to do the work. Secondly, only give this option to the high performers who have demonstrated their ability and commitment to the organization. My last point on the topic goes back to you. To a great extent, you are the main reason people stay or go. Honestly assess “Am I somebody I would really, really want to work for?” It’s my hope that you are. e Do you have a workplace question you want answered? What do you want to know to make work a better place? Send your questions to DeSantisCP@aol.com to get Chris DeSantis’ two cents as to what he thinks you might want to do. Chris DeSantis uses his 20 years’ experience in training and development as an independent consultant. He specializes in the design and delivery of management and organization development interventions. A presenter at Leading Edge Alliance seminars, DeSantis focuses his work on assisting individuals or groups in identifying obstacles to effectiveness and subsequently works with them to create user friendly solutions aligned with the company’s strategic initiatives. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Denver and an MA in organizational development from Loyola University. a: While I realize your concern begs an immediate reply, I ask that you consider the larger picture. It would be better to deal with this systematically rather than react to the incident when a similar situation will certainly repeat. Dealing only with the incident means that you will be doomed to deal with it again and again. There will always be incremental offers made to your most valuable employees, in this case 10 percent plus a week’s vacation. Not knowing what the employee is getting paid I can’t say if that’s expensive or cheap, but I do know as a problem, this isn’t something that goes away. My question to you is, if a competitor can buy away an experienced employee for merely 10 percent more than what he or she presently makes, what makes your work environment so unattractive? In addition, you are talking about a top performer, someone who should see a future at his workplace. If the employee has a shot at moving up, why would he give that up for a few bucks? Moving to a new position has a whole host of headaches. So what gives? One more week off and 10 percent? It’s not a lot in the larger scheme of things especially if this person sees future opportunities where he or she is presently working. Does this person see 14 VOLUME 8 n ISSUE 1 n FALL 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leading Edge - Fall 2007

Contents More than Money Riding E-Cycles Can Mean Green for Your Business Business Across State Lines - The Tax Implications Holiday Recognition? Bits & Pieces In a Nutshell: Q&A The Leading Edge Alliance

The Leading Edge - Fall 2007

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