Retention vs. Employees’ Loyalty

Retaining current employees has been a hot topic especially during and after the pandemic (if we can say it’s over!).? It seems like if all the weight for us to remain working for a given Company falls 100% upon our employers. The other side of this coin is having a sense of loyalty and commitment to our current employers.? Have we thought about our current level of passion towards our employers' mission, to our imanagement, customers and patients?? I think that while employee retention remain a crucial strategy to succeed, as employees ourselves, we must also strike a balance to ensure we conserve some sense of engagement with the vision, mission and employer who pays our salaries. Maybe the right word is not loyalty, but accountability to provide deliverables for the salaries we are earning. If we ever come to a point where we stop believing in our Company’s purpose, we should ask ourselves if it’s really time to fulfill our passion elsewhere!

This also makes us think about the concept of alignment (with our direct or cross-functional Management decisions) versus empowerment (thinking we have no liberty to decide anything). While the best decisions are reached by diverse mindsets and respectfully-conducted debates, there is a point where we must also strive to execute on decisions based on consensus (thus alignment), not always on unanimous agreement (unless is unethical, illegal or not serving our mission and customers). Although it is healthy to challenge the status quo, speed of decisions should not be hindered by not having 100% agreement.

Employee Loyalty in Different Dimensions:

1. Company Mission

Our loyalty to our company's vision and mission is a foundational aspect of our engagement. When we align with the company's vision, we are more likely to be motivated and committed. This alignment fosters a sense of purpose and helps us to understand how our individual contributions add to the larger goal (Robbins & Judge, 2018).

2. Management

Loyalty to our immediate supervisor is often a two-way street. If we feel valued and supported by our managers, we are more likely to reciprocate with loyalty (Eisenbeiss et al., 2019). This loyalty can manifest through increased effort, better performance, and greater willingness to adapt to changes in the workplace.

Our alignment with management's strategies can be instrumental in achieving our organizational objectives. When we trust the decisions made by our leaders and understand the rationale behind those decisions, we are more likely to commit ourselves to executing those strategies (Dutton et al., 2010).

4. Customers & Patients

In we hold customer-facing roles, loyalty extends to the relationship we have with our customers and stakeholders. Building rapport, providing excellent service, and understanding customer needs are all components of loyalty in this context. Satisfied customers can lead to increased business and job security for most of us.

Confusion Between Alignment and Lack of Empowerment

While alignment with a company's mission or management is desirable, it should not be confused with a lack of empowerment. Empowerment involves having the autonomy and authority to make decisions and take ownership of our work (Spreitzer, 1995). Confusing alignment with a lack of empowerment can lead to our disengagement and hinder creativity and innovation.

100% Alignment with <80% Agreement

I love the concept of having 100% alignment with <80% agreement since it acknowledges that complete agreement on every decision is unrealistic in a diverse workplace. In practice, this means that while we may not always agree with every decision or strategy, we should align with the core values and overarching goals of our organization. This approach allows for flexibility and adaptability while maintaining overall alignment with the company's mission and strategies (Kotter, 2012).

Managerial Accountability in the Face of Disagreement

I have often found myself in situations where I must execute decisions which I personally disagree with. We should not be disengaged by this reality as this is part of belonging to most successful Organizations. This is part of our managerial roles, and it underscores the importance of accountability. Unless a decision is unethical, illegal, or violates company policy, we are accountable for implementing it with a high level of commitment. This commitment is crucial for maintaining organizational cohesion and ensuring that we trust our leaders even in challenging situations (Mintzberg, 2010).

Conclusion

What are we doing as employees to remain engaged and "loyal?" Employee loyalty is a complex and multi-dimensional concept that involves commitment with a company's mission, supervisors, broader management, and customers. While alignment is essential, it should not be mistaken for a lack of empowerment by our employers. The concept of 100% alignment with 80% or less agreement recognizes the need for flexibility (and speed) in decision-making. We as Managers must also understand our accountability to execute decisions, even when we personally disagree, in order to maintain organizational stability and trust. As employees and Managers we must strive for a better balance of our “loyalty” (commitment) versus always waiting for our employers to “retain” us.

References:

1.???? Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Pearson.

2.???? Eisenbeiss, S. A., Knippenberg, D. V., & Boerner, S. (2019). Transformational leadership and team innovation: Integrating team climate principles. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(6), 1438-1446.

3.???? Dutton, J. E., Ashford, S. J., O'Neill, R. M., & Lawrence, K. A. (2010). Moves that matter: Issue selling and organizational change. Academy of Management Journal, 53(3), 585-609.

4.???? Spreitzer, G. M. (1995). Psychological empowerment in the workplace: Dimensions, measurement, and validation. Academy of Management Journal, 38(5), 1442-1465.

5.???? Kotter, J. P. (2012). Accelerate. Harvard Business Review, 90(11), 44-58.

6.???? Mintzberg, H. (2010). Managing. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.