The antidote to the Great Resignation

Much has been written about people re-assessing their work and careers during the pandemic and lockdowns, the so-called Great Resignation, with as many as 40% of Australians now considering or actively looking to change jobs. Some are saying that it will be more like a Great Resistance about going back to the office, while others are more optimistic that it’s an opportunity for a Great Realignment.

Whichever way you look at it, there is a shift occurring in the way people see their jobs and some may move on to new things, while others may stay where they are but engage differently. Some will look to do something that feels more meaningful, while others will expect flexible and hybrid working arrangements. And some may want a fresh start after lockdowns, whereas others will take the opportunity to move as they were already considering a change anyway.

The big organisational challenge is?when the people they thought were the most engaged and talented contributors start to leave or disengage. It can come as somewhat of a shock that these people were even thinking about leaving.

“The biggest concern for any organisation should be when their most passionate people become quiet” Tim McClure

A recent McKinsey article on this topic, The great attrition stems from a great disconnect, points to the gap between the things managers believe are important to employees and what employees state are actually important to them. The fact that this gap exists suggests that open, honest conversations are not happening between managers and employees until people decide to leave, if ever.

Source: The great attrition stems from a great disconnect, McKinsey & Company, October 2021

Their research in this chart shows that the most important need for employees is ‘valued by organisation’ whereas employers rate this as “somewhat important” and do not rate it in the top five. The second and third most important need for employees of ‘valued by manager’ and ‘sense of belonging’ are rated by employers as “less important” and below the top ten, indicating a big mismatch.

The Inc. article, Why are people really leaving their jobs, highlights one big reason why people leave in four words: “feedback that goes unheard”. This is closely related to being ‘valued by organisation’ as highlighted in the McKinsey study.

It would seem that being noticed, valued and listened to would have to be one of the top contributors to people staying in an organisation and indeed feeling engaged.

So, a critical question for leaders is: Have you been listening to your people?

We believe that an important antidote to the Great Resignation/Resistance/Realignment is cultivating leaders who listen.

Leaders who listen create a listening environment where people feel that there is safety and space to share concerns, struggles, needs, ideas and aspirations long before they decide to leave, disengage, start looking elsewhere or lose focus.

Unfortunately, building an effective listening environment cannot be done overnight. It’s not just about teaching or reminding leaders to ‘do’ active listening. After all, if people aren’t willing to speak honestly, there is nothing for leaders to listen to. And even when people do speak openly, if leaders are not willing to be influenced by what they hear, people will eventually give up. To add to the mix, listening can be somewhat of a blindspot for leaders as many overestimate their ability to listen and have a low level of awareness about how well others feel listened to by them.

At a time when people are more likely and able to ‘jump ship’, can organisations afford not to cultivate this important leadership capability?

The good news is that leaders can learn the mindsets, skillsets and awareness to create safety and space in their teams and organisations. As a leader, are you ready and willing to find out whether people feel listened to by you?

We’d love to listen to you and your experience of being listened to (or not) in your workplace. Please visit our survey via this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/exampleOWLeader. Most people find it takes approx. 10 minutes.

Written by Megumi Miki, with Anna Reeve and Leigh Gassner on the Leaders who Listen project. The project aims to develop leaders who create safety and space within their organisations and truly listen to enable better decision making, drive growth and innovation, enhance collaboration and inclusion, and manage risk. If you’d like to understand how well you and/or your leaders listen and create an environment of authentic communication, contact us about our Leaders who Listen assessment tools and development options.