Why great people quit good jobs | Christie Lindor | TEDxZaragoza

Translator: Valérie ESPANET Reviewer: Zsófia Herczeg Imagine for a moment that you feel miserable at work and are thinking about

quit

ting. But you are very

good

at your job. Colleagues come to you when they need help, and customers praise you. You have a supportive manager and you may even be paid very well. Would you stay away from that? Now I know what you're thinking. Why would anyone leave what seems like their dream job? But I know it is. And at first, I actually felt very guilty and I felt very ashamed for feeling so miserable and wanting to leave.

But the more I shared my story, the more I realized I was not alone. Because it turns out that

great

people

quit

good

jobs

all the time. The real question is: Why? There is a saying in American business that

people

don't leave companies. From my personal and professional experience, I believe there is much more at stake than simply people giving up on leaders. I believe that

great

people do not abandon companies or leaders. Great people leave organizational cultures. Today I want to talk to you about two things. One, why does that happen and two, how can you create a meaningful work environment where great people like you want to stay.

You see, any organization is made up of two categories of people: employees and leaders. Employees and leaders work together under a defined set of rules. This is the definition of a culture. The interesting thing is that the culture of a company is similar to that of the human body. Like your own body, cultures have a DNA imprint that transfers messages created by people working together. If we look more closely at the DNA strands of a culture, we will find that they are encoded with information such as values, attitudes, and beliefs shared by people who work together.

So in this context, culture provides a sequence of instructions and codes for how people are treated, how decisions are made, who is hired or fired, and what behaviors are rewarded, promoted, valued, and recognized. And just like your body, a company's culture adapts to whatever environment it finds itself in. The human body is a fascinating instrument in that it can go from fight-or-flight survival mode to thriving depending on how favorable conditions are for it. growth and sustainability. Cultures are not different. As you can see, when people at work are unhappy, especially great people, it stresses the entire organization.

This leads to a company culture that operates in survival mode. So what does a culture in survival mode feel like? If you hold your breath the moment you enter work in an attempt to "survive" during the day, and don't exhale until you leave the office, and do so day after day, that is a clear indication that you may be working in a business culture that operates in survival mode. Constantly working in this type of environment is boring at best and exhausting at worst. The hard truth is that many organizations operate culturally. As you can see, this guy is clearly in survival mode right now.

So what does a culture in survival mode look like? It is an environment in which clear leadership is lacking at high levels. And because there is no clear leadership, this leads to a misalignment of vision or direction, where activities and decisions made across the organization do not match its core values. And because the vision is misaligned, this does not create clarity in the roles and responsibilities of your people. And since there is no clarity in roles, this leads to compromised values ​​or beliefs. And it becomes a place where mediocre performance is accepted and even encouraged. Once values ​​have been compromised, this leads to toxic behavior being tolerated by both employees and leaders.

And it becomes a place where people are constantly disrespected for no good reason, and everyone's opinions are not valued equally. Once toxic behavior seeps in, it leads to a clique environment. And it becomes a place where diverse thinking is lacking, the wrong people are promoted, and there is no appreciation for community, affinity, and recognition of others. And guess what. Once there is a lack of diversity and inclusion, this leads to stagnant organizational structures and processes, and manifests in a place that becomes too difficult and too political to do anything, leading to great people quitting good

jobs

. .

But it does not have to be like that. On the other hand, what does a thriving culture look like? I'm going to provide you with three specific examples. It is the successful online entertainment company that revolutionized an entire industry with a thriving culture. It's a place where people are very thoughtful about hiring employees and leaders for the culture, and never second-guess those hiring criteria. It is a place where only high performance is accepted and valued. It is a place where creativity and innovation are the norm and people are empowered to take charge of their careers and the direction of the company.

Or take the case of a social media giant that created an entirely new sector with a thriving culture. It is a place where employees and leaders share the same open workplace. It is a place where trust and transparency will surely create the perfect setting for bold problem-solving solutions. It's a place where it's about being accountable for how decisions are made and what behaviors are rewarded. I personally remember the first time I experienced a thriving culture. It was actually with a former client of a financial services organization. That experience still makes me smile 10 years later. I loved going to that client's site because every day was part of something really special.

It was so amazing. Everyone had a voice and came together to solve the company's challenges. And in meetings, I couldn't really tell the high-level executive from the entry-level employee. And that's because in thriving cultures, the line between leaders and employees is blurred because everyone has the power to take charge. An increasing number of companies are beginning to realize that culture can be a key distinctive competitive advantage in mitigating market threats. In a report on global human capital trends, more than 50 percent of CEOs surveyed are currently trying to change their culture in response to changing talent markets.

In today's competitive and imminent environment, there is the threat of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence. With robotic automation, your livelihood may be at stake without a thriving culture. You can no longer afford to ignore the problem. According to Harvard Business Review, adaptability is a key distinguishing advantage of thriving cultures. And companies that understand this understand that culture is the key to maintaining competitiveness in the market. While I'm not saying thriving cultures are perfect, thriving cultures are all about performance. Thriving cultures adapt. Above all, thriving cultures get results. Are you ready to take on the challenge of owning your experience and creating a meaningful work environment? (Laughter) Employees, stop accepting the mediocrity that is handed out to you by colleagues and management and leadership teams.

Ask the hard question, engage in problem solving, be part of the conversation. And take some time to reflect: What's stopping you and your colleagues from coming in and doing your best work? And generously share those ideas with everyone around you. Last but not least, employees, if you have done everything, and I mean everything, and there is still no change after a concerted effort, you have the power to leave and find an environment that aligns with your values. But remember, employees, you are the validators of a culture. So if you stay and become complacent, you will also take responsibility if your colleague leaves.

Leaders, take charge of the narrative you create every day. Leaders, you are the regulators of a culture. Assume your role accordingly. Increase! You don't have to accept survival mode as your reality or your people's reality. And that doesn't mean, leaders, you go and leave the problem to HR to create another forced employee engagement program and then walk away. Because what you're essentially doing is putting the burden of your leadership responsibility to own and shape the culture on a business function rather than on yourself. Leaders, how are you conveying a vision that makes people excited and want to come to work?

Walk the halls, talk to your people, and find out what they need. Do they need empowerment to make their own decisions, improved processes, training, new experiences and removal of political obstacles? Like the body, it is your decisions and habits as a leader that create a thriving culture or reinforce a culture in survival mode. So, imagine that instead of being miserable at work, you wake up every day excited and energized to create a thriving culture that becomes so amazing that you not only attract the best colleagues possible, but you also help build a business that can adapt and thrive in the digital economy. .

Employees and leaders have the power to shape the conditions of the work environment. And maybe with your help we can wake up to a world where great people don't quit good jobs, but good jobs don't quit great people. Thank you. (Applause)