Ole Carlson

People are your most valuable asset. Invest in them as you would invest in any tangible capital assets.
The most effective strategy for consistent retention and continuation of an existing and future flow of talent (aka rock stars) into your organization is to engage them in a continual and authentic conversation. That’s a high return investment. My dentist told me to just floss the teeth that I wanted to keep and the same applies to keeping your high performers. Real conversations are your version of flossing, therefore “converse” them regularly with intention, sincerity, focus and authenticity. Otherwise, you’ll witness the gradual and then sudden decay of what you are attempting to preserve and grow.

Be IN the conversation with your winners. Not OF the conversation, not ABOVE or BELOW the conversation, not OBSERVING the conversation, not BESIDE the conversation, not when the conversation is CONVENIENT to you, but directly IN the conversation with all physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual facilities operating at 110%.

You leadership role is to listen with every communication mechanism and sub-atomic particle available to you (aka eye contact, leaning forward, open arm position, and other physical and emotional signs that signal that you’re available). Stop preparing to talk. You can’t listen and prepare to talk simultaneously. It’s impossible. Stay in the moment. Be here and now and in no other place.

You need to listen FOR what’s not being said. Listen for what you don’t want to hear, for what makes you uncomfortable and may contribute to your current stress level. Listen for what’s outside of your view, for clues of disengagement from you and your balance sheet, for what are the present and future needs of your talent. Invest in them as they have invested in you. Invest with your ears, not with your mouth.

Stay in the conversation with your winners until death or a better opportunity for them or you do you part. When the separation occurs bless and congratulate them and yourself for a courageous decisions. Do not burn a bridge, scorch the earth or litter the sometimes-painful path between you and them with anger, indignity or ego.

Most rock stars (aka high performers) will leave you or you’ll leave them relative to what you and they are passionate or strategic about. You’re sitting in the seat that they aspire to. You may see a better future somewhere else for yourself. Remember, accept what you can’t change, change what you can and understand the difference between the two. Possibly you and the departing talent may become future customers, suppliers or a buyer of your company. They may return to the familiar fold of your current enterprise. It boils down to either creating a short-term win resulting in a long-term loss or a short-term loss resulting in a long-term win. Be accountable and do the right thing for all involved in creating the future that you and they desire and deserve.

Never make a promise that you can’t or are unwilling to keep.
If you don’t keep your promises, you’ll destroy or erode any trust that was at one time a potential outcome between you and with who you made the promise to. People who don’t trust you will seldom tell you the truth, the real truth with a capital “T”. Subsequently, you’ll waste your time and money solving the wrong problems and be a witness to the eventual erosion of your corporate balance sheet, P & L, vision, mission, values and personal net worth. Be a promise keeper not a promise breaker! It’s your choice. You have the authority, but they have the power. Remember that.