SalesForceXP: March/April 2009 Coverstory: Keep Your Head and You'll Keep More Employees

COVERSTORY

SalesForceXP March/April 2009 Cover Keep Your Head and You'll Keep More Employees

by Paul Nolan

One sure way to get good workers to look for employment elsewhere is to allow a tense environment to fester. The stress from the economy and increased workloads has plenty of people on edge, but it's cause for concern if you have to apologize more than once to your sales team for losing your cool.

Besides controlling your own emotions, you must be on the lookout for increased irritation between co-workers and mediate before things spiral out of control.

Competition among salespeople can be a positive way for colleagues to push each other, but beware of overly intense rivalries. Combative employees are less productive and more likely to make errors. According to one study, 50 percent of employees say they got less done while fuming, 46 percent thought about quitting and 37 percent became less committed to their work.

The key to limiting workplace irritation is communication. Whether the disagreement is between a manager and a subordinate or between two team members, both sides must talk. A good way to start a conversation about any workplace disagreement is to state how much the two sides appreciate a positive working relationship.

Lay down your sword, says Anna Maravelas, a corporate peacemaker (www.therarising.com) and author of How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress (Career Press, 2006). Then state the facts. If you've noticed a pattern of behavior that's not productive, say that. But stay away from the phrases "you never" or "you always."

What Makes Workers Want to Stay?

"Business leaders are recognizing the role employee engagement and loyalty plays in the financial health of a company," says Stacey Randall an employment retention specialist with IMR Research Group. "Employee engagement directly impacts profitability and you are wasting resources - human and financial - unless you are focusing on the policies and practices that are going to give you the most bang for your buck."

According to an IMR survey released last fall, workplace attributes that have the greatest impact on employee loyalty and retention are:

A high degree of trust between management and employees
Influence on goals and strategy as they relate to the job
Professional development encouraged
Employees are empowered to use their own judgment and make decisions
New ideas are encouraged and tried
Employees are passionate about their work and motivated to do a good job.