How To Keep Your Critical Employees From Quitting
Every business thrives when the partnership between visionary founders and their integrator support is in good health. Teams are inspired with purpose and passion. Good ideas are transformed from the ether into tangible assets, projects, and profits. Great things get done well.
But when this relationship is out of whack, things quickly fall apart.
Here are some (very) common situations.
A visionary Founder, head full of ideas, dismisses the current list of projects in the pipeline to put their latest initiative first—and grows frustrated when nothing ever seems to get done.
A proactive Chief of Staff is overwhelmed with the growing number of “fire drills” and last-minute additions—knowing several aren’t emergencies and most aren’t even necessary.
A once fantastic partnership fizzles because both parties attempt to resolve conflicts in the way that feels most natural to them. Founders attempt to fix a problem they can’t clearly define; Integrators attempt to bring stability without anchoring to clear boundaries.
All this to say that the Great Resignation is a real thing and your company is not immune. You’ll either fire someone for the wrong reasons or they’ll quit for the right ones—and there’s a good chance you’ll both be worse for it.
Why? Because both Visionaries and Integrators need each other to make big things come to life. And the best ones know how to make the most of this high-performance partnership.
To make sure that happens, here are three tips and tools you can use this week.
Have a critical conversation. Use our Fierce + Crucial Conversation Guide to clear the air and set the tone. Keep in mind—this conversation isn’t just about their performance and behavior, but how you both perform and behave as a unified team.
Be willing to adjust. Whether you’re a Visionary or an Integrator (find out which one here), don’t let your natural wiring short out your relationships. Here’s your chance to develop new behaviors and skills that will make sure the best ideas get brought to life.
Stick to the plan. For Visionaries, this means sticking to the priorities you set each quarter—and being okay with someone telling you no or not now. For Integrators, this means adhering to your personal and professional boundaries—and holding the founder (and yourself!) accountable to the big picture. Use this quarterly planning template to start Q4 on the right foot.
There will always be a natural tension between those who come up with the big ideas and the ones who can be trusted to make them happen.
Embrace it. Learn from it. Let it propel your business forward in ways few things can.
Stuck? Overwhelmed? We’ve got a course or a Cohort for that. Find out more about how we’re supporting badass small business growth in America here.