If You Value Someone Tell Them

This is a true story. I have a friend who heads the India operations of a well known European MNC. He has been with this firm for the past decade. During these years he has built up a fantastic track record of  successfully managing assignments in different countries, leading teams to achieve success and is generally well regarded by his employer. Over the last few months he has been experiencing 'career fatigue'. We would often chat about the "What next?" question. He was wondering if he was still viewed as a valuable part of the firm's long term strategy.This is a dangerous phase to be in. This is where the employee starts flirting with other potential employers. So when the headhunter called, my friend agreed to meet the prospective employer for a "no-obligations, just a chat" meeting. One thing led to another and he landed up with this plum option which sounded ever so interesting. Now came the difficult bit. Of telling the current employer that he was ready to move on. What was intended to be a 140 character Twitter like conversation became a portal conversation with everybody in the corporate pantheon wanting to join hands and prevent my friend from leaving the firm. He was wined and dined by all. Everybody from the Chairman to the mail room assistant told him how much he mattered and how irreplaceable he was. They told him what was the next big role he would do. And that he was a part of an exciting project that would give him much needed exposure to the growth markets.So what is wrong with this picture you may ask. Just that most managers wait until the employee has announced his decision to quit before they express their "love" and gratitude. Why do we need to wait till the employee is ready to jump off the cliff to tell them that they are valued? Ask them manager why they won't tell the employee that (s)he is viewed as top talent, they will say that it increases the flight risk. I believe it does not. On the contrary, it makes the person feel valued and wanted. It is quite like keeping the romance alive in the marriage by doing all those crazy things people do when they are wooing each other. Not doing that leads to 'marriage fatigue' (there must be a word like that). These are two different relationships I hear you say. Sure... but the underlying principle is the same. Tell people how much you value them.Here are five things you can do that tell employees that they matter:

1. Spend time with the employee : The time spent in following up on the to-do list does not count. This is dedicated time that the manager and the employee must spend in trying to understand how to address the areas of  development that will help the person get prepared to be seen as the top candidate for the next higher role. Make sure you spend 15 minutes each week with each of your direct reports for this purpose. Get to know their dreams, their unique strengths and then find ways of using their strengths in crafting projects for them.
2. Share appreciation: Tell the key employees that he or she is a key part of the team and the teams success. Tell them they are an integral part of the growth of the function/ company/ team... whatever is relevant. Also work on addressing their developmental aspirations. It helps them not take the headhunters call.
3. Surprise them: Just sending someone an article that would help them learn about an area that they need to learn about, is a way of indicating that you think of their development. This does not mean inane and frequent mass email forwards that many of us do, much to the exasperation of colleagues. A personal note to them about their achievements and how highly you think of them can be a pleasant surprise. We all "function best in an atmosphere of love and encouragement."
4. Showcase their talent: The next time you have the big cheese coming down from the Head Office or a major visitor, make it a point to introduce your team member and also add how happy you are to have them in the team. Don't just hog the entire limelight by yourself.
5. Set them up for success: Secondment to short term projects that help develop the capabilities and confidence of the person are a good opportunity for you to leverage. Secondments could well be short term exposure assignments that help the employee get prepared for their next big role. Each major assignment transition should be preceded by a brief secondment that helps prepare the employee for success in the major role.

The thumb rule is to ask, if I just got to know that my top talent has decided to join the competitor, what would I do retain this person? How would I tell this person that (s)he is special and very important to us. That will set your creative juices flowing and you will come up with many meaningful ways of telling somebody they are valued. I have often heard during exit interviews that, "If my manager had spent so much time as (s)he did trying to persuade me to stay back after I handed my resignation... maybe I wouldn't have resigned in the first place."And what happened to that friend of mine? He has decided to continue with the current employer. How did the prospective employer deal with being spurned? They said, "After ten year if they had let you go without a word, we would have worried about our recruitment process!" Go figure.