Page 77 - Retaining Top Employees

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Know Your Demographics 65

beyond a certain size, the culture takes on a life of its own and
can become a negative factor in retention.
Work Relationship with Manager
The final two factors address an area where there’s a very dis-
tinct difference between the expectations of Boomers and Gen-
Xers—relationships in the workplace.
The first and most important relationship is that between the
employee and you—his or her manager. In most polls and sur-
veys, this relationship alternates with the issue of work content
(see above) as the first or second most important factor in
keeping a top performer.

The 12 Gallup Workplace Statements
In 1997 the Gallup Organization defined a set of 12 state-
ments that a motivated,satisfied employee would make
about his or her work environment. Of these 12 statements,five are
directly related to the employee-manager relationship:
1 I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work,I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days,I have received recognition or praise for
doing good work.
5. My supervisor,or someone at work,seems to care about me as a
person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work,my opinions seem to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is
important.
9. My fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months,someone at work has talked to me about
my progress.
12. This last year,I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
Marcus Buckingham,the Gallup consultant who worked on the 12
Gallup Workplace Statements,has since published two business best
sellers based on the statements:
First,Break All the Rules:What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
(Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman,Simon & Schuster,1999)
Now,Discover Your Strengths(Marcus Buckingham and Donald O.
Clifton,Free Press,2001)