Re-Energize Mid-Managers

Posted by Ken Glickman

Q: I have three senior managers who have been with me for several years. They’re all hot-shots and I want them to stay with the company, but lately I’ve been getting the feeling that they are getting bored and antsy. I’m worried they will leave the firm. How do I keep them?

A: The mid-career blahs is a disease that affects most of us. It’s always tough to keep seasoned employees challenged, energized and positive. And loosing them can have a huge negative impact on the company.

Retention of key talent has become a critical issue for growing companies. When new employees come on board, they like to see that the company is dynamic enough to keep the people who made them successful. It’s never good to see an organization that has no managers with tenure in excess of five years.

Here are some quick-hit suggestions that may keep your winners happy and productive.

• Sit down with them and discuss their career goals, dreams, frustrations and what they want to do in the future. Do more listening than talking.
• Send them to out-of-state conferences.
• Assign them new projects that will force them to learn new skills and systems.
• Ask them if they would like to cross train into an area of the firm that is totally different from their current job.
• Hire them a Personal Coach.
• Give them some unexpected benefits: sending their spouse with them to a conference, re-furbish their office, choose them to represent the company on a prestigious board.
• Ask their opinion more often on new corporate initiatives.
• Offer to pay for specialized training and/or additional college degrees.
• Extend vacation time, more personal days, or consider an extended leave for a family trip or to pursue a hobby.
• More money. Yes, cash works wonders. A nice bonus, promotion, or new office can awake those old juices.

If you demonstrate that you care about their professional and personal life, they will respond by not being so quick to jump ship when a fast-talking recruiter calls (better watch for them guys