It seems simple right?  Just Value your employees. Ensure they feel Inspired to work hard and contribute. Support their needs and take the time to Hear their concerns. Why then is it so hard to actually bring this to life in an organization? Why do so many employees report not feeling this way and link it to a KEY REASON why they quit?
During the development of my book Knowing Who You Lead- a business guide for leaders and teams I surveyed employees to learn more about what makes a great leader, why they leave organizations, and what they wish their leaders knew about them. It fundamentally came down to V.I.S.H. 

So often when I ask leaders about the most challenging part of their role.... the answer is managing employee performance. Many say they find it easier to manage people who are excited to come to work, always give a 150%, thrive to learn more, and are loyal to the company. The challenge often comes with employees who seemingly "don't want to work" , "seem to struggle", "don't get along with others", and are always causing "issues". In these cases, leaders and supervisors have to choose a more direct-coaching style of leadership, while remaining supportive and encouraging growth. The process can be exhausting and frustrating. However, there are some strategies you can implement to ensure you are holding people accountable AND encouraging change.

As a Job Interview Coach I am often asked "How do I apply for a job I have never done?" "How do I convince an employer that I have what it takes to be effective in this new position?"  As a leadership coach I get the same question from supervisors and managers "Why should we hire them? They haven't even done the job.  How can we determine if they are a good  fit?"
Let me answer these questions by sharing  with you what I have learned from becoming a farmer.

Could offering job sharing be the answer to attracting and retaining new employees? Initially you may be thinking...What? Two people doing one job?  How will that help fill empty spots? .. but you might  be surprised.
Statistics Canada reports unemployment rates are continuing to drop in Canada, however job vacancies are at an all time high (over a million in May 2022)! Employers are being forced to reorganize, lengthen delivery and production times, reduce service hours, and ask existing employees to work longer hours, all in an effort to keep their businesses afloat while they desperately search for new employees. Traditional offers of more pay and benefits are not working. Could offering people the ability to job share be a solution? 

Have you ever come back from a leadership course enthused to try and start "implementing" some of the new strategies you have just learned, only to be met with blank stares by coworkers?
Have you tried to use the "new tools" in the next team meeting, and found they didn't work the way they were supposed to? Did you find yourself looking around wondering "why isn't this working" and feeling less enthused?
​How long did it take until you just got frustrated,  quit, and went back to your default methods of leadership?  You may have just needed a coach on the bench with you...​

I HATE MY JOB!
Have you ever heard that from an employee? They are seemingly disgruntled and grumpy all of the time. They come to work in a bad mood and seem to pull everyone down with them. You don’t know what to do or how to get them out of this “funk” they are in. You bring them in for a meeting and inevitably ask the question we all ask: “So what are your aspirations? Do you have some goals in the organization? Where do you see yourself in five years?”​

Think about how pre-COVID-19 training sessions or meetings started. Everyone would wander into the room a few minutes early, coffee in hand, and start chatting about their kids, the weekend, holiday plans, and work challenges. After five to ten minutes, the meeting would start and people would inevitably continue to interact and share ideas.​