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How to retain team members by meeting their needs

Shay McConnonShay McConnon gave chief executive mentoring and experiential learning group members (from William Waddington’s Exeter-based Academy Group 39) a very practical and powerful workshop on ‘How to retain team members by meeting their needs’.

Shay was an extremely entertaining speaker who grabbed everyone’s attention immediately by opening the session with a magic trick! He divided our group of MDs and CEOs into smaller groups – as ‘green’, ‘blue’ or ‘red’ characteristics. A simple strategy but very powerful in enabling us to understand and appreciate the unique and differing needs amongst individuals within a team. As Henry Ford said, ‘Why is it that I always get the whole person when what I really want is a pair of hands? ‘- We learned that by recognising that each person in the work place is different and therefore has to be treated differently, then you will achieve a helping ‘pair of hands’ whenever you need it.

Shay also makes the point that effective communication is two-way – so encourage your employees to feedback issues or problems (rather than moaning behind the boss’s back) – the caveat being that to achieve this the ‘boss’ has to keep asking questions and positively encouraging this type of feedback from staff.

Key take-away points were:

  1. Keeping asking questions of employees and staff (but phrase the question from THEIR point of view, not yours).
  2. Find out what makes your employees tick and what their needs are – match their needs to your business’s needs.
  3. Any system for employee feedback needs to be framed carefully and will take time and effort to make it really effective.
  4. Getting an employee feedback system bedded into the organisation will make it a healthier, happier place to work – and you will find it much easier to retain your employees.

I rate Shay as one of The Academy for Chief Executive’s best speakers. Well worth engaging him for gig!

William WaddingtonWilliam Waddington,
Chairman Academy Group 39

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates peer groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. To hear great speakers like this every month and engage in The Board You Could Never Afford®, or to find a local group near you, visit www.chiefexecutive.com.

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