Accountability Is the Answer to the Great Resignation by Sam Silverstein

Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash

The Great Resignation is in full swing. People are quitting their jobs. It is rampant. But it is important to understand that people, for the most part, are not retiring. People are resigning from companies where they do not feel like they belong. They are resigning where they do not feel valued. They are resigning where they do not connect to the organization’s mission. They are resigning when they are not connected to a group of peers. They are resigning when they do not feel like they are being developed and grown for future opportunities. People are resigning when they cannot work remotely or build their work life into their lifestyle. 

The list goes on and on. Mostly people want to be valued, be a part of something, and live a fulfilled life. When they do not, the Great Resignation comes into play. What many workers find out is that when they resign because of money and go somewhere else the grass certainly isn’t greener. I always advise people to leave an organization with a weak culture. For the most part, do not leave for money. When you go someplace for money, you will, many times, find yourself in an environment where you are not happy. 

So, what does this all mean for the leader who is fighting the Great Resignation? It means you better have your culture right. During the pandemic we found that the organizations that excelled were the ones who had strong, positive, sustainable workplace cultures. The ones that did not, suffered greatly. This still holds true through the Great Resignation. 

People do not leave organizations where they feel valued, developed, a part of a community, and connected to the mission of the organization. People leave when leaders believe that people are simply a means to an end. And most of the leaders that treat people this way do not even realize they are doing it. 

How does your culture shape up? Do you have an annual workplace culture assessment tool that you use to get real data on what is going on inside your organization. If you do not have real data, how can you address real problems? 

The accountable leader puts their people first, makes sure that all decisions are made with the people’s interest in mind as well as the future of the organization, and ensures that everyone has a voice that is heard. 

When an accountable leader would rather die than let their people down, then the people would rather die than let that leader down. It always comes down to relationships. When you create a workplace culture that truly values people then the people value the organization, and the Great Resignation is not even in their vocabulary. 

Sam Silverstein is dedicated to empowering people to live accountable lives, transform the way they do business, and create a more accountable world. He helps companies create an organizational culture that prioritizes and inspires accountability. His latest book—The Accountability Advantage—is available for preorder from Sound Wisdom. You can follow Sam on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.