It’s come up again: I was asked to explain why people are leaving their jobs. This client professes a deep belief in valuing their employees and the work they create, and they’ve been affected by the “great resignation” like so many others. 

There’s been a lot of suggestions lately to rename "The Great Resignation” - I’ve seen or heard: 

• The Great Reshuffling
• The Great Job Hop
• The Great Upgrade 
• and early on, The Turnover Tsunami

Personally, I like “The Great Upgrade” because it captures the fact that most who are changing jobs are doing so to find something better. I'm also hopeful that, as employers do things differently to attract and retain talent, perhaps our work experiences themselves and the many organizations we work for will also be upgraded.

Whatever you call it, millions of people have changed jobs over the past 18 months or so. At the same time, more women are dropping out of the workforce entirely,...

Workplace cultures that are generally supportive and collaborative usually have fewer conflicts - because they approach disagreements as opportunities to innovate, converse, connect, and build something new. 

Usually that's easier said than done, but an essential element is to build trust on your team. 

Building trust within your team, no matter the larger culture in which you work, goes a long way toward preventing conflicts on the team.

• If you're new to managing this team, it can be relatively easy to build trust:

  • get to know your team members;

  • find excuses to share fun, light-hearted moments with them;

  • say a heartfelt “thank you” for specific actions whenever you can;

  • and, follow through on whatever plans or promises you may make to them.

• If you can’t follow through, or if you’re finding that on stressful days you are a bit less nice than you would want to be - just be authentic. Let the team know that you’re having a tough...

1. control every part, however small, of (an enterprise or activity). 

• You ask for status updates anytime the desire for information pops into your head
• You don't trust that your employee(s) are working on what you want them to
• You don't trust that your employees are working, at all, unless you can see them working 
• With remote work you've implemented, or requested, one of those remote tracking softwares - you know, the things that track keystrokes or eye...

*Updated 2/14/2022*

Recently I asked a group of people WHY they think the great resignation is happening.

The answer two of them gave was: unemployment benefits are more generous so people are choosing not to work, just get $$ mailed to them from the government.

This is FALSE.

First, unemployment benefits (at least federally) are back down to the bare minimum. And studies show that people receiving unemployment have trouble making basic ends meet - meaning, rent, mortgage, food.

This isn't a post to bash unemployment (though personally I'm all for a universal basic income to level the playing field - having shelter and enough food to maintain your health are basic human rights. /soapbox).

It's to make the point that, when millions of Americans month after month choose to quit their jobs without having another job set up, it means they are MISERABLE at work.

It's time for a reset.

First, let’s be real - the “great resignation” is not hype. And it’s not about...

Yesterday was March 8, 2021. I looked at my LinkedIn newsfeed and saw lots of posts thanking women - professionals who shared their gratitude for the women who have mentored them, who work with them, who work for them. 

And my reaction? 

Frustration.

Anger. 

Annoyance.

I remember when International Women's Day was for feminist policy wonks who cared about equitable development around the world, equal pay for all women, and human rights. The slogans heard at gatherings to recognize the day were not about gratitude but about human rights - and the deep, intense need to have all humans' rights recognized, no matter their sex or gender. 

It's not exactly a bad thing, of course, for International Women's Day to be a household phrase - if it even has achieved that. But we lose something when a day originally designed to bring together people fighting for human rights becomes "Thank a Woman!" day.

International Women's Day was a thing long...

Managing with Empathy

Think for a moment about your favorite manager or leader. Someone who was in charge in the organization you worked for, or work for today. What is it about them that makes them your favorite?

Odds are, what you love about them has far more to do with interpersonal skills than anything else. They listen to you. They care about you. They invest in you. They help you.

Managers who understand how to be human at work - how to empathize with fellow employees and direct reports - are far superior to managers who ignore or tamp down emotional connections.

There is little reason to trust a manager who refuses to become vulnerable and share something about themselves, and there is little reason to trust a manager who, when you’re feeling vulnerable, keeps their response business-like - or, let’s face it, robotic.

Managing with empathy can mean a lot of simple things; it comes down to being human.

How to Manage with Empathy

• Ask someone how they’re...