By Karla Brandau, CSP

In the executive offices of high-tech companies across the globe, a new weapon is reemerging in the executive arsenal with powerful implications for driving business success: Retention Leadership.

Executives whose daily challenges in the 21^stCentury global environment are how to work with China and India, understand the MySpace Generation and get more free publicity while paying for less advertising, are familiar with initiatives to increase innovation, streamline business processes and motivate for higher individual productivity. However, these executives are now looking at the work of their organization through another dimension: leadership and the retention of employees.

According to the Harvard Business Review, not paying attention to the retention of employees puts the company in a position to lose people with talents they need, often inadvertently retaining people with outdated or ordinary skills.

by Karla Brandau, CSP

How organizations can increase productivity and keep top talent

The “elephant stomp” is a popular dance in organizations. Unknowingly, with only a word or two, non-savvy managers will stomp out innovation, stomp on fledgling communication efforts all the while decreasing productivity and increasing the likelihood that top talent will stomp right out the door.

Consider Sean, the VP of sales for a mid-size company. Sean was in an executive meeting to discuss sales & marketing direction.

by Karla Brandau, CSP

If leaders at every level of the organization practice the Nine Principles of Culture Integrity™, they will be creating an environment that builds positive relationships, thus improving employee retention and reducing unwanted turnover. They will also be encouraging employees to be fully engaged in their work. The term for this attention to employees is called retention leadership. 

In the competition to keep good talent, it is widely understood that leaders and the quality of the relationships they build with their direct reports are the key to why people stay loyal to the organization. Unsatisfying, unethical or contentious relationships with the direct supervisor or manager will drive employees away and in the competition for the best talent, most organizations cannot afford to lose their best and brightest in this manner.