SGIA Journal Garment Edition Spring 2016 - 32

* Too few growth opportunities
* Feeling devalued and unrecognized
* Stress from overwork and work/life
imbalance
* Loss of trust in leadership
Do you notice something missing
from the list? It's money. Does this mean
money is not a reason people leave? No,
but several studies have shown that beyond
filling our basic needs, money is not the
top motivator for most people.
These same studies, however, show
that many managers believe money is the
main reason people leave. Many times
employees often cite "more money" as a
reason for their departure, even though
it was something else that triggered
them to start looking. It is easier for an
employee to say that money is the main
issue rather than talking about the leaders
and company culture - no one wants to
burn bridges.
So what do the seven reasons people
leave have in common? All of them are
things that can be reduced or eliminated
with effective leadership. Every reason
is something that is either directly or
indirectly part of the company leaders'
responsibilities. The leaders set the culture
and tone, and put practices in place under
which the organization operates.
Importance of Formal Leadership
Development

Many people are in leadership roles without
formal leadership development, and the
reasons people leave companies reflect this
lack of training. You would not put someone
on an expensive piece of equipment without
proper training, as they could hurt themselves, others, the equipment and productivity. Yet this is what happens with many
leaders who are in charge of a far more
valuable asset: people.
Those without formal leadership
development:
* Rely on technical skills vs. leadership
skills.
* Do their people's jobs rather than their
own.
Do you see any symptoms in your
company? Here are some indicators that
leadership development is needed:
30 | SGIA Journal ■ Spring 2016

* Manager is not holding some or all
team members accountable.
* Manager uses the power of the position
rather than coaching.
* Manager puts out fires rather than finding long-term solutions.
* Manager works long hours and/or does
not feel like they can take a vacation.
* Manager makes decisions or solves
problems that their people should be
doing instead.
* Manager micromanages employees
rather than develops them.
* Long employee line forms outside the
manager's office.
* Employee performance suffers when
the manager is not there.
Good employees are not attracted to
this type of work environment. No one
should be in a leadership role without
formal leadership development - the cost
is too high for the organization and for
the employees!
Recently, one of our clients shared a delightful story. A business owner had set out
to improve leadership and company culture.
In the process, the company's management
team defined company values and included
this information in employee pay envelopes.
An employee who intended to leave the
company read about the values. He then
met with the company president to discuss
the values and, as a result, decided to stay.
He told the president, "I want to work for a
company that is striving for these kinds of
values!"
Leaders have control of the company
culture. Many things go back to leadership
basics, and attracting and keeping good
employees is no exception.
What Leaders Can Do to Attract and
Keep Their Most Valuable Asset

Ensure the job or workplace is as expected. Leaders usually think their people
know exactly what is expected. Our experience has shown that this is not always true.
Ensure your people know their priorities
by developing clear, written expectations
for each position. Get High Payoff Activities (see September/October issue of 2015
SGIA Journal) in place for each position
and be sure they are communicated to each
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SGIA Journal Garment Edition Spring 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SGIA Journal Garment Edition Spring 2016