There are many ways to keep good people. You can, for example, pay them more, give them more interesting projects, flatter them, promote then, or even stop treating them badly. As unpalatable and irritating as all those options might seem to any right-thinking manager, they work — trust me, I’ve tried ‘em.
Here is how not to do it though. I had a senior executive at a company tell me this week about what happened when he told his misbehaving CEO he was quitting:
CEO: “You can’t quit.”
Exec: “I can’t? Why?”
CEO: “What will happen to your visa?” [He's a foreigner in the U.S.]
Exec: “We have it worked out with lawyers.”
CEO: “You sure? You could get kicked out of the country.”
Exec: “I’m sure.”
CEO: “Well, you won’t make platinum on American Airlines.”
Exec: “Huh? I’m okay with that.”
CEO: “Well, alright then.”
Adrift fellow that he is, the CEO never actually tried to find out why the fellow was leaving, what he could do about the problem or the position, or anything like that. What a wacky world the executive floor can be.
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