Retain Employees By Building Trust
I was contracted to coach Carlo (not their real name). Carlo was a recent hire to a manager position in a company that had just come through a year of difficult leadership change. Carlo had successfully held a management position elsewhere, and this was a step up. But according to his supervisor, Carlo was having some challenges in this new position. His supervisor was disappointed and surprised given Carlo’s track record.
Carlo was enrolled in my Critical Leadership Solution coaching program, and we worked together for several months.
Initially, Carlo self-reported that his confidence was low. He wasn’t feeling certain he had made the right decision. He was fearful he was at risk of termination at any given moment. “I would hear my supervisor coming down the hall and was certain today was the day.”
The more Carlo and I worked together, the more it became clear to me that he was highly competent in his role. What was missing for Carlo was time with his boss to integrate into the work environment, set expectations, and understand the culture of the working relationship.
By the end of our time together, Carlo’s confidence had soared. He had found his footing within the fast moving and rapidly changing work environment. And he and the supervisor began to build trust, one experience at a time and one conversation at a time.
Trust is built one conversation at a time and one experience at a time.
This is one of the Navigating Challenging Dialogue Mantras and applies perfectly in this situation. This mantra is about both building trust in others and building trust in ourselves, like when we’re in a new work environment.
It’s imperative that a supervisor schedules intentional time with new employees to both:
have meaningful conversations, where expectations and norms are explained,
deliberately integrate them into the work culture.
No matter how impossible it may seem to spare that time, the initial investment is well worth the result: retaining a solid new employee.
In addition to formal “check-in” meetings, it’s important to work alongside the employee, and be in dialogue, whenever possible.
Through this intentional approach, the employee:
Is able to find answers to questions.
Sees the tempo and cadence of the workplace modeled.
Receives informal feedback on how they are adapting and growing into the position.
Comes to understand expectations within the context of the work.
Quickly course corrects when they are going in the wrong direction.
Builds trust and connections.
Gains confidence.
It’s easy to forget, especially with experienced new hires, that adjusting to an entirely new work environment is often quite unsettling and challenging. For many, it is more challenging than the actual work itself.
I wasn’t hired at the beginning of Carlo’s time at the company but only after he’d been there for several months and was at risk of leaving. Carlo had indicated that taking this job was possibly a mistake.
Research tells us that 9 out of 10 employees consider leaving a new job in the first 3 months.
When new hires begin to feel insecure, like Carlo, instead of asking for support, they instead avoid their boss and try to fly under the radar. Through our coaching, Carlo took steps to engage more and proactively ask for time with his boss. This paid off in terms of relationship development and encouragement.
Carlo is on solid ground now. He is happy with his decision and his company is thrilled with their hire.
The Mantras of Navigating Challenging Dialogue serve us well in the retention of new employees. They remind us that connection and engagement are as important as learning the ins and outs of the work itself.
To learn more about Navigating Challenging Dialogue® and how coaching can help you retrain and develop employees, schedule a free call with me: https://NCDsolution.com/beth.