Here are the top 10 employee retention strategies:

1  Leadership skill development from the top down. People don’t leave their jobs. They leave their leaders, which is why ongoing leadership skill development is crucial.

2   Shift motivation rewards to match the task. Algorithmic tasks require direct motivation (e.g., pack 12 widgets in 12 seconds and win a prize); however, creative tasks do not.

3   Provide more creative and challenging work. Use technol­ogy to take over repetitive tasks and maximize human ability to be creative.

4  Allow flex time, sabbaticals and extended time off. Employees value employers who provide them with time to de-stress. 

5. Invest in training and growth for all employees by provid­ing a mix of on-site and online learning.

6. Recognize employee performance goals rather than tenure.

7. Provide a career path. Even if you are a flat organization, show other opportunities within the industry.

8. Offer full-time employees contract projects as standalone jobs or as add-on options. Workers want greater flexibility and interesting work.

9. Provide real-time performance evaluations so employees don’t have to wait until annual reviews for feedback.

10. Have fun! Mixing business with pleasure and having fun socially is an important part of employees feeling good about where they work and the people they work with. Challenges and other games are a great way to engage team members and have fun together.

All Gen Y’s, all focused on their future, getting ahead and making a difference. This is a

demographic that has the excitement for the future that we all start out with but for many

Gen X and Zoomers we got lost and got stuck in an identity and then had to find our

way out of what we thought we wanted.

What is inspiring about Gen Y’s is that they refuse to be boxed into a specific identity AND

they see reinvention as their divine right. This is why they do not or cannot give a

commitment to an employer of 3 years or longer. Gen Y’s have been raised to go for what

they want and to find work they love. Conversely Zoomers and Gen X were raised to find

work that pays the bills and if you don’t love it- well just stick with it!

Gen Y would rather put a hot poker in their eye than to do something that they dislike or

do not love. A cynical Zoomer will say that this is lack of work ethic or that it’s called work

for a reason but an open minded Zoomer would see it as a refreshing way to look at work.

Can you imagine a planet where everyone of every generation loved what they did?

Can you see the expanded creativity and innovation that would happen?

I know it sounds idealistic but I tend to believe that Gen Y’s are leading a movement

forward for all of us to find work we love. Imagine a workplace where everyone actually

wants to be there and because everyone is doing work aligned with their strengths there

is higher engagement, happiness and overall profitability.

Gen Y’s are causing all of us to rethink work, to reinvent our identities and to re-look at

why we work, what we want from our work and how we can connect doing what we love

with creating the lifestyle that fulfills us the most.

The opportunity for all of us is to embrace the possibility of actually enjoying our work

(I am blessed because I took big risks over 15 years ago to do what I love) when we

do what we love we are willing to work hard- the two go hand in hand. It’s because we

are working towards something that fulfills us and has a bigger purpose.

Take a look at the Gen Y’s in your life and at your work- see them as messengers of

inspiration and seek to love what you do or reinvent to find work you love.

As a leadership expert I make a point of reading and absorbing what other thought

leaders on leadership have to say.

Recently I read Deepak Chopra’s book “Soul of Leadership” but I also had the

opportunity to attend his well known event, “SynchroDestiny”. It was amazing to be able

to spend five days in Carlsbad, CA to contemplate, meditate and learn. In addition to

Davidji, Don Miguel Ruiz and others Deepak provided insight and tools on how to manage

in these times of change and uncertainty.

In Deepak’s sessions he talked about the laws of success and the need for each of us

to look within for our answers but also to look to our ‘heroes’ to model our behaviors.

This specific point really resonated with me because I think that often we just go through

our daily lives in our work and at home on autopilot and we don’t see ourselves as

heroes or heroines in the world. Deepak doesn’t suggest this as something you do in

arrogance or as escapism but in order to live your best life possible.

He says to imagine and invoke modern day archetypes as well as mythical ones into

who you are and by doing so you add magic, mystery and meaning into your days.

Here are the 3 other lessons I learned from being at the SynchroDestiny event and

listening to Deepak Chopra.

Lesson #1- Start to really rely on your inner wisdom, your inner strength and inner

ability to creatively solve any situation you may find yourself in. By using comptemplation

you can learn to listen to the inner voice and make higher consciousness choices. As

leaders our ability to positively influence others is highly reliant on our ability to manage

ourselves in a way that is highly inspiring and motivating to those we connect with on

a daily basis.

Lesson #2- Karma is really the law of cause and effect and as leaders we need to be

practicing ‘good karma’. I have believed in this concept for years but it was only just

recently that I realized I wasn’t ‘being present’ as much as I could be in order to make

better choices and choices that create good karma. Good karma for a leader can

come back in many ways but one of the most rewarding is when someone we have

influenced goes on to reach higher pinnacles of success and we were a part of that for

them. Deepak says that bad karma isn’t punishment- it’s simply an effect that we

caused by past behaviors. We live in a balanced universe.

Lesson #3- Science is now finding that what Deepak Chopra has been saying about

the power of our ‘other self’ the non- physical self can be measured. Deepak’s questions

about ‘who is the thinker?’ and ‘who is influencing the study results?’ has indeed been

proven that there is an untouchable ‘us’ that is very much real though unseen.

As a leader we can lead through major change, major turbulence and chaos when

we acknowledge that we are all more than our human selves. When we strive to be

the highest ideal version of ourselves then we can truly transform the world. When we

interact with our teams, our bosses our friends and family practice seeing their ‘best’

self and interact with everyone at that level.

Pretty heady stuff I know! You should have been there! My head was spinning with

the fullness of what Deepak’s teachings really are. I am excited for our future because

although the world will continue to be turbulent, restless and uncertain if the majority of

us can lead with heart and head and a focus on ‘good for all’ we can create a new

way of leading, working and being that will be unlike anything we have experienced before.

The challenge? People don’t take too kindly to change- generally.

There are a lot of reasons why we as humans resist change and now more than ever it is

imperative that we create a company culture of ‘everybody on the bus’. If we have even

one or two people who are impeding the forward movement we can slow innovation, be

slow to respond to market shifts and risk our relevance in our respective industries.

The key is guide people to their choices- allow them to have a say in the changes and

provide them with their options. Ultimately if they refuse to adapt a tougher decision may

need to be made about whether that person is a true fit with the company as it moves

forward.

Here are 3 reasons people resist change and how to help them move forward:

1. Fear- plain and simple. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know is the

adage for most people when resisting change. The key with this is to alleviate and mitigate

fear by providing clear communication about the direction the company is going, and

addressing the skills and people you want to have on board to move with the changes.

Point out the attitudes, skill development and behavior shifts that have to happen to help

grow the company, identify how each person contributes or needs to improve their

contribution. Get buy in that adapting to the change is a better choice than staying with the

status quo.

2. Identity- protect it at all costs.

We  as humans are wired for fight or flight and when we perceive threat to identity such as

our job title or job functions we will typically and automatically push back or resist.

When creating change ensure you have visual anchors for everyone that show the new

organization chart, the job opportunities, the job changes, and guidance on how to shift

into a ‘new’ identity as the company morphs into its new self.

3. Path of least resistance- when people are rewarded with a paycheck for mediocre

work there can be a sense of ‘entitlement’ that settles in. It is not a conscious awareness

around it but people can begin to feel that what they are doing is already enough. When

a leader is creating change they can feel ‘put upon’ or have a reactionary response. The

best way to encourage them to move forward is to point out how the changes will make

their jobs easier, faster and more fun. An example is continually changing technology

Zoomers might resist learning the new technology until they find out that it will reduce

their stress around customer delivery by a significant amount.

We are living and working in a “Technology Revolution” and we are moving through

massive change. There is no text book for the times we are in right now- however

moving forward does require individuals who are willing to change and adapt swiftly.

The leadership model is changing as the workplace evolves into a more democratized environment.

The biggest opportunity for all organizations right now is to provide tools and training to their leaders on how to lead in the new workplace of multiple personality types, multiple generations and unparalleled technological change.

Typically leaders of newer companies don’t spend too much time on culture. Their attention is focused on building external client relationships.

A lot of leaders put off the crucial focus on the culture they want to create and how they can set up the environment to support the growth of the company.

Some entrepreneurs have solid visions of their ideal cultures right from the beginning.

So what are some of the key attributes of a modern day phenomenal leader?

In INC magazine’s June 2011 issue they listed top small company workplaces and here are a few of the core values that set the leaders on track for continued growth and success:

1. Democracy- At Namaste Solar the CEO is just a guy with a vote and he likes it that way.

They truly embody that everything must go through a democratic process and that the CEO does not hold final veto. Let me point out that the CEO is a Generation X and this is a core value that is demonstrated with this particular generation.

2. Fitness- At TRX the whole culture is around fitness and leaving work to go for a two hour bike ride is mandatory as part of the culture. If you do not do this you are frowned upon. By the way TRX revenues in 2010? $32 million.

3. Teamwork- At Menlo Innovations the work environment is highly connected- around tables and input, dialogue and discussion are all part of the culture.

4. Training- At Hopkins Printing they believe in survival of the smartest. The training is aimed at continuous improvement and revisiting process improvement on a regular basis.

These are just 4 of the core values of phenomenal leaders there are major opportunities available to companies small or large to leverage their systems, processes and people so that they can enjoy the next level of growth.

Interestingly enough one of the most common challenges when communicating change to our teams is to do it in a way that creates buy-in from everyone. It used to be that executive leaders could just announce a change and expect that everyone will jump on board and move forward. Today’s evolved leader knows that how change is communicated will determine the successes moving forward.

Here are 3 ways to align all of the generations with change:

1. Build links between the vested interests of each of your team players and the new changes being introduced.

For example if you are merging divisions or re-branding take the time to meet in person and gather dialogue through online forums about the relevancy of everyone, reassure everyone that there will not be any lay offs but that there are exciting job title changes and new skill development opportunities. Remember that a Zoomer ( a modern baby boomer) may not relish a job title change as quickly as maybe a Gen X or Y might. Be prepared to address any and all concerns of each of the team members.

2. Create an open and safe environment for disclosure and discussion.

The client I was talking to, had it right as they are providing a 2 day event for all of their team members where the executive will be announcing the new and exciting changes, the new brand and the new opportunities for the company and for each individual involved. They are also bringing an outside expert into their event (me) to provide perspective and tools on how to individually manage their responses to change. The rest of the 2 days if focused on technology to make their jobs easier and strategies to manage change as they move forward. There is time built into the 2 days for open discussion and questions.

3. Provide tools and strategies on how they can personally manage their responses to change.

Change management is difficult for most people regardless of their generation. Personality has a lot do with how each person views change, behaves when faced with change and uses change as a positive force. It’s not that people don’t want to change its that they see it as a ‘fight or flight’ situation and often it brings up feelings of fear and insecurity.

The job of leaders is to reassure, reconfirm and relax everyone so that they can begin to welcome change and use it as fuel for creativity and success.

Each of the generations does view change through a different lens and we need to look at the many factors that make up the individuals response to change. We want to look at their generation, their personality, their behaviors when faced with change and their strengths. We as leaders are transformers through change and our job is to guide our teams towards change and transformation.

His definition of recurving is: “Leaving one job to take another that pays less but places one back on the learning curve”

In my book, “101 Ways to Make Generation X, Y and Zoomers Happy at Work” I provide survey results that state the US job satisfaction is at the lowest level in two decades. The survey was done in January 2010 for The Conference Board by TNS.

The survey found that of 5000 surveyed only 45 percent of those surveyed are satisfied with their jobs which is down from 61.1 percent in 1987, the first year the study was conducted. Further 22 percent of those surveyed did not expect to stay with their current employer in the next year following the survey.

I do a lot of consulting and coaching work and the majority of my clients are Generation X- those who are in their thirties to late forties. This is a generation that feels they have been overworked, under appreciated and have not been given the promotions or opportunities they had expected.

I recently conducted a survey through my consulting firm Synthesis at Work Inc. and asked a group of Generation X the three reasons they would quit their job in the next year. Here are the results of that survey:

1. They have outgrown their role and they want to learn more from their Baby Boomer boss- they welcome the learning in any form such as cross-training, mentor programs or university courses but their company does not offer a variety learning opportunities and their boss does not want to share what they know to the Generation X.

This scenario is a classic example of ‘recurving’ where the Generation X will leave one job for another even at lower pay to learn more and to grow.

2. They do not see any opportunities to be entrepreneurial in their role and they long for the work and life balance that will allow them greater freedom and flexibility with their family. Generation X say they will quit their job and start their own business if they have to in order to create the life/work balance that they want.

This scenario is an example of companies talking about life balance but not providing the resources for employees to actually feel like they have life balance. For example the baby boomer boss works until 7:00 PM and the Gen X feels guilty leaving at 5:00 PM this causes the Gen X to resent the baby boomer and look for work that gives them more sense of control over their job and the freedom to leave without guilt.

3. The economy is coming back and Generation X are being head hunted by competitors. Organizations are recognizing that Generation X are a valuable asset in that they have excellent technical skills along with work experience. They are the perfect demographic for organizations to go after and aggressive and progressive companies are luring Gen X away with longer vacation times, paid sabbaticals and partial work from home options.

This scenario is happening more frequently as the economy continues to improve- organizations are luring Gen X away from their current employers to capture their talent. Generation X are an easy target for organizations that know what the Gen X is looking for from an employer and they are prepared to give it to them in order to lure them away.

Generation X is often the ‘forgotten’ generation as the baby boomers and generation Y get all of the attention. However if you as a company are not focused on keeping your Generation X happy you could be at risk of losing them to a competitor. Or you could be losing them to their own entrepreneurial venture.

It is time for organizations to really step up and walk the talk when it comes to employee happiness and satisfaction because in an improving economy there will be more job migration and the loss of valuable talent.

Cheryl Cran, CSP is the author of “101 Ways to Make Generations X, Y and Zoomers Happy at Work” as well as “The Control Freak Revolution”. She is a leadership and generations expert and works for top performing companies to help leaders and their teams work together at the highest level of effectiveness.

Recently a baby boomer audience member we will call “Betty” came up to me in tears after a presentation on generational attitudes in the workplace. She confessed her biggest fear was being left behind due to her lack of technical abilities.

Betty described how she was the team lead in a department of Gen X and Y’s- she was the only Boomer and she often felt intimidated or inferior to the very people who directly reported to her. She admitted that her coping mechanism was to over control and come across as edgy because she feared losing her credibility with her team.

In my presentation I was sharing a client story about the challenges they are facing due to the technological skill differences among the generations. Betty said this resonated with her and she was not being the best leader because her lack of technical knowledge was causing her to feel insecure and incompetent with her team.

I reassured Betty by telling her that her recognition of her behavior was huge and that there were ways in which she could bridge the technological gap and feel in control again while being a contributing team leader to her team. Here are the ideas I shared with Betty:

1. If you have the luxury of face to face meetings and you meet at least weekly you can add a 10 minute “Tech Time” segment to your meeting. This is where the team shares a technology tip on how they leverage Outlook, Excel or the proprietary corporate technology.

2. Implement “Tech Time” tips on your company Intranet and encourage people to submit their best time saving tips with the technology that is used for example the Blackberry or IPhone- get others to share the latest apps and tools that simplifies both work tasks and personal tasks. Create a prize once a month for the best “Tech Time” tip.

3. If you are a Boomer or a Zoomer ( a boomer who refuses to age) swallow your pride and admit to your team the areas that you want to develop in your technological knowledge. Ask for their help and spend one on one time with your team members on having them reverse mentor you on the technology in the workplace. Offer to take a technically savvy team member to coffee or lunch while they tutor you.

4. Create a “Technical Wiki” where any time someone has something to add about what a technology can do for your company they upload it to the wiki and everyone receives the information into their email in box.

5. Create in house webinars regarding the technology that is used in house and record them- invite team members to participate in the webinars and then post the audio on the Intranet as well as email the webinar recording to everyone in the department or organization.

Technology is speeding things up for all of us and if we are not all on board to accept that we are in a highly technical world we can be left behind.

Cheryl Cran, CSP is the author of “101 Ways to Make Generations X, Y & Zoomers Happy at Work” and a leadership and generations expert.