How modern leaders can help minimise the 'Great Resignation'
Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM
Author | Keynote speaker | Columnist | PhD | Adjunct Professor | Ranked Thinkers50 member | Member of the Order of Australia (AM) | Former Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
There has been much in the news lately about the global phenomenon that is being dubbed the?Great Resignation.?According to research conducted by Microsoft, 40% of the global workforce is looking to change jobs within the year.
Adam Grant said recently in the?Wall Street Journal?"the Great Resignation is not a mad dash away from the office; it's the culmination of a long march toward freedom."
With all the commentary about working from anywhere policies and the desire for increased flexibility in a post-pandemic world, it is easy to think that addressing the bricks and mortar issues that became apparent during the pandemic will help stave off those wanting a change.?
The reality is that people do not leave organisations they love because of the physical, built environment they work in. People leave jobs because of the way their leaders make them feel. In fact a?2020 Gallup poll found 75% of people left because of their manager and?not?because of the job itself.
As many of you would already be experiencing, the fight for talent is already fierce and only expected to get tighter. In Australia, the Great Resignation is being tipped to hit our shores in March 2022.?This means modern leaders are more important than ever and can also help stem the tide of employees looking to make a change.?
As we emerge from the pandemic, as leaders we need to be acutely aware that?the experience of recovery and renewal will be different for everyone?– whether we lead people in our families, in our communities or in our businesses. Not all the issues faced during the pandemic will disappear and will be supplemented by additional challenges around the way we now work, new uncertainties about the way our social lives may look and new expectations of how we engage with one another.
I work with a lot of leaders who are technically brilliant and at the top of their game in their industry, but leading with empathy (for example) is something they reserve for their closest family and friends. Modern leaders understand the need to integrate your ability to lead with your head and heart into the way you work, not just how you live your life. It is impossible to lead as a modern leader otherwise.
Modern leaders who understand this style of leading will be critical to stemming the wave of people looking for change as they emerge from the pandemic.
Thank you so much for all the feedback you have sent through after last month’s newsletter. Please continue to send me your feedback, questions, and ideas for topics you would like covered. You might even like to visit me on?Instagram?where I am having a lot of fun learning how to make reels about leadership (and quite a few of my dog, Huey too!).?
I am looking forward to continuing to do more to deliver content and inspiration for our community of modern leaders and connecting with you as you lead the way through this new post-pandemic world.
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All things Maritime ???? ??????
2 年Great article Kirstin Ferguson thanks!
Top Voice in AI | CIO at TetraNoodle | Process & Workflow Automation with AI & RPA | Reduce costs by up to 60% | CyberSecurity, Agentic AI & RPA | AI keynote speaker | 4x patents in AI/ML | 2x author | Travel lover ??
2 年The idea of an employee choosing to leave because she or he doesn't feel supported is not new. The Great Resignation occurs when the organisation causes the individual to leave (or lose motivation) through actions that go against her or his true nature. The result is that the employee starts feeling like a victim; blames the company; and eventually resigns. Awesome post Kirstin Ferguson
Chief Executive
2 年Thank you for another wonderful article Kirstin - as a leader in the recruitment industry I am seeing a lot of unrest. The positive response to our proactive approaches has doubled. I'm keen to continue to explore the affect of the physical disconnect on workplace relationships - especially between leaders/managers and their direct reports. Some leaders have to work hard to connect even when located with their teams. Now it's even harder and with many organisations shedding layers of management leaders and managers are 'busier' than ever wearing multiple hats. Being present, taking interest in the outside of work lives of our team members and investing in our relationships is even more critical.. and let's face it.. feels better!
Deputy Manager at CDB Finance plc Bsc.Business Administ(Business Economics) special usjp ,AIB,AICM,ACPM,MBM UoR
2 年Agreed. "Modern leaders understand the need to integrate your ability to lead with your head and heart into the way you work," Insightful article.
HR Specialist | Learning and Organisational Development | Leadership
2 年Thanks for sharing Kirstin Ferguson – interesting to understand your perspective on the Great Resignation, as mentioned, there is a lot talk about this and I'm very keen to see how it plays out in 2022.? ? I agree with the Gallup poll – people leave leaders, not great jobs. We just need to look at the work by Brené Brown to understand the skills and knowledge needed for leaders to lead effectively in today's workplace. ? As a result of the pandemic, many people, (roles permitting), have spent the last 12 months + working more autonomously, being able to get the task done with limited supervision and at a time that suits the way they work best. This has created an appetite for people to rethink their relationship with work. Therefore. workplace flexibility will become increasingly important to attract, engage and retain good talent.?From a learning and HR perspective, we may need to find new ways to support the transition for leaders to better lead in a more agile, flexible workplace.