Love 'em or Lose 'em: Getting Good People to Stay

Amazing book. I've been managing for years and this book is full of good tips.

In working with literally thousands of managers a year, I find very few complaining about employee turn-over. Or its more positively stated corollary, retention of great people.That doesn't mean that attrition of great associates isn't a problem---just one that most managers overlook or choose to ignore for its embarrassing implications.What most managers do complain about (ad nauseum) can be summed up in two words: employee motivation. Which, of course, has everything to do with causing the very costly problem of human leakage from the company payroll (as well as most of the frustrations that deny managers restful nights and peaceful days).And so, it is such a shame that the title of this superbly helpful guide is misleading. Or at least inadequate. Instead of "Love 'Em or Lose 'Em," it should declare, more appropriately: "Keep 'Em: Engaged, Motivated to Produce, and on YOUR Payroll!" Clunkier for sure. But much more accurate. If not compelling.This book by veteran consultants Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans is a handy advisor for pressured, task-based (and, yes, even gruff) managers who are too consumed to always remember---but who know down deep---that people, the engaged and motivated variety, really do make the difference in producing great results.POINTS OF DISTINCTIONUnlike so many other collections of myriad motivational techniques, this book is: * Grounded in research (current and original by the authors, as well as contemporary and classic studies by others) * Flush with very real world examples---many of them likely will seem hauntingly familiar and hit frighteningly close to home (perhaps striking dead-on in your very own solar plexus) * Aimed squarely at managers who ordinarily reject, refute, and yeah-but all the trite touchy-feely, overly saccharine, and unrealistically techniquey advice about motivating people. (You know, the kind spewed by the legions of naive-to-clueless consultants who manage nothing more than to pen ridiculously over-idealized management books.) * Packed with rich, diverse, immediately actionable tactics that are practical, low-or-no-cost, and doable. No matter how uninvolved or inept your own boss or HR department, you'll find lots and lots of choices and material from which even the most casual, or cynical, skimming reader can easily draw. (As the authors note in their Preface: "'Love 'Em or Lose 'Em' does not offer a single technique or a large, complex program for keeping good people. Instead, it provides 26 strategies, each of which includes dozens of small, easy-to-implement ideas." True enough.)Unlike far too many "management cookbooks" (some unreasonably popular), this work distinguishes itself by helping a manager to:* Assess his or her own management style---not against the standard of an imaginary "perfect leader" but rather in specific dimensions that truly affect employee performance; and* Accept responsibility for affecting employees' engagement, productivity, and retention. (As the Gallup Organization and others have been harping on lately, it's the individual manager, not the CEO or mythical corporate culture, who really affects the day-to-day work of individual employees.)This book by Kaye and Jordan-Evans encourages its readers to ask themselves important questions about their OWN needs and assumptions (critical to understanding why one does what one does). And it provides a remarkable treasure trove of questions that a manager can ask employees, in comfortable conversations, to gently unveil their personal interests, wants, and needs impacting their on-the-job motivation and performance. Moreover, it provides plenty of options for managers to deploy tactics that leverage those vital insights into productivity-changing actions.PICKING NITSA hidden gem in the book is its Quick-Start Guide. It provides a valuable overview of the book, and is itself full of practical tactics. But it is unnecessarily and inexplicably inconspicuous. Hidden really. Buried between the last chapter and the Notes and other end matter.Likewise, a useful self-assessment that guides the reader to the themes most helpful to a specific reader resides in the LAST chapter.Despite these curious editorial decisions, my advice is to buy two copies of this book. One for you and one for the least people-oriented boss you know. Then, read the book. Backwards and selectively. Begin with the Quick-Start Guide on page 243, and then take the "Retention Probability Index" assessment on pages 237 & 238.Oh, be sure to take (with a deep breath and earnest commitment to brutal honesty) the Jerk Boss self-assessment on pages 91-93. To get full value from this uniquely helpful book, it's good to know what you're really up against.-- Don Blohowiak, Lead Well Institute, [website]

Nice supervisors should find this book helpful when trying to motivate other.

LOVE 'EM or LOSE `EM contains 26 steps for improving employee retention organized in an A-Z fashion. Although written during the recent boom times when retention was a challenge, information presented is quite valuable now for managers who wish to stay employed. The suggestions will promote a happier and more productive workforce. Many of the concepts can be applied to all interpersonal relationships - between co-workers, family and friends.The book's presentation is visually appealing - section headings and key passages are in a complimentary blue font. There are various other eye-catching features that make the book interesting and exciting. Each chapter starts with a short statement from a fictitious employee referred to as A.J some key excerpts followIntroduction: I quit. I'm giving you my notice. I found another opportunity. I've accepted another offer. Can we talk?Chapter 1 Ask - What Keeps You They never asked.Chapter 2 Buck - It Stops Here I think my manager actually could have kept me. But I don't think he ever saw it as his job.Chapter 5 Enrich - Energize the Job The job just became ho-hum. I mean, I was good at it, my customers were pleased, but I was just plain bored.Chapter 13 Mentor - Be One I wish I'd had someone to warn me about some of the political ins and outs that were never written in any policy manual.Chapter 18 Reward - Provide Recognition It wasn't about the money, really. Oh, sure, a bonus would have been nice when I brought that new client in or when I finished those specs ahead of schedule. But a "thank you-I noticed" would really have been appreciated.Generously distributed throughout are "Alas" sections - short, as the authors state, "the-fish-that-got-away" stories that actually happened. There are numerous "Business Examples" - things that really worked in large and small organizations. As references to other parts of the book there are "Go To" Icons to augment the information being presented.If you're wondering how effective your management skills are in retaining employees, go to Chapter 26 - Zenith and take the assessment of your "Retention Probability Index".At the end of the book is a Quick Start Guide - you might want to go there first and get an overview of the entire book.Employee retention as well as productivity is not just about the money and the other "hygiene" factors (work space, hours, etc.), it's about listening to and respecting others. In these difficult times, it's more important than ever.This book is clearly for everyone.

Love 'Em or Lose 'Em is an excellent resource that all employers should read to better understand the needs of their employees. The way people work is changing constantly and employers need to realize that each of their employees need to be stimulated and encouraged to do their best.Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans organize this book in an easy to read fashion. Yet the writing is not dry at all. The exasmple are explained with many real world examples and even in a fun friendly manner. Kaye and Evans encourage bosses to communicate effectively with their workers. They stress the importance of having retention meetings and getting feedback from key employees. Also important is creating a professional but fun work environment. Overtime may be necessary to complete key projects. But reward employees with a festive meal or a sporting actiity. It never hurts to mentor these key employees and to get to know their personal lives a little without infringing on their space.Also key to this book is an outline illustrating how the loss of one critical employee effected the attitude of a particular department and even the company as a whole. This recessionary economy will soon lift and many employers need to realize that layoffs and rigid policies will only restrict organizational growth. An excellent resource on many levels.