A friend and fellow consultant recently spoke to a large group of CEOs at a Denver conference. The presentation focused on key ways to combat “The Great Resignation” since experts say that it will continue through 2022. He made the point that the employees of 2022 hold very different expectations from those of 2019 and early 2020—employees expect greater work flexibility, less burnout, and better relationships with managers. Employers need to adapt. He said his presentation did not go over too well. The CEOs argued that “sooner or later the employees will be back; they have to make a living.” Aside from incorrectly assuming that their former employees were not working and had not moved on to better employers, these meeting participants were not heeding the reality that employees expect better work environments.
To meet the demands of changing work expectations, many organizations are improving their organizational climates in order to recruit and better retain employees. To fulfill this need, organizations are focusing on re-tooling their managers as coaches. There are three steps: