I continually hear from CEOs that it is hard to find A players – we have lots of B’s and C’s and, unfortunately, these types will not get us to the next level. Labor markets get tight is already tight in manufacturing and will get tighter elsewhere as the economy continues to expand. Can you tell who your “flight risks” are? If they are an ‘A’ player, it might be very helpful to know who among these ‘keepers’ no longer wants to be kept. Here’s seven ways to Sniff Out the Quitters!
Often leaders struggle with the people side of leading – reverting back to what they know best, sales, engineering, and operations, etc – functions where they grew up and cut their teeth. I posit that leaders need to spend up to 50% of their time on the people side of the business, ensuring they have the right individuals on the bus and in the right seats. Often the most difficult part is looking ahead and thinking through and planning the type of organizational structure needed to execute a new strategic initiative or a push to take advantage of opportunities that come your way.
If you are a CEO (or C level executive with important people responsibility), how much time are you spending on these critical people initiatives – is it enough?
