The #1 Reason Employees Quit (And How to Retain Your Best People)

Hello, dear listeners, to the speak and flow Podcast, where we dive into unique strategies and experiences to help you unlock the power of your voice and help your team achieve maximum potential and flow. Today I have an experience Hr. Professional. She is also a leadership coach and board of directors, Kaylee, Kyle, Hi Kaylee.

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Kaylee Keil: Hello, Melinda! Thank you so much for having me today.

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Melinda Lee: Oh, my gosh! I'm so excited to jump into our conversation. I just love talking about all things. Hr, because it's all about people and and how do we help people communicate? Better become better leaders? So tell me you've been in the Hr. World for a while. What is exciting. What are you passionate about? What are you seeing in the Hr realm today?

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Kaylee Keil: Absolutely. I currently work for the nimble group. We are events, curators specifically for human resources.

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Kaylee Keil: networking and educational events. And the reason that I really wanted to

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Kaylee Keil: transition into this type of work is that I'm extremely passionate about the future of work, and truly that future is now, and every human deserves to have a psychologically safe work environment, a fulfilling work environment. And that is really what we focus on with the events that we curate.

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Melinda Lee: Oh, that is so important. And and do you think that with the current administration and some of the Dei initiatives are getting dismantled? Do you think that it's just gonna it's gonna be more difficult and challenging to do that.

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Kaylee Keil: Absolutely. It is already really showing that that is happening. There is a lot more uncertainty coming from the

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Kaylee Keil: general workers. The the population of our standard workforces are

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Kaylee Keil: not necessarily looking at their work like we're used to them looking at their work. And it is

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Kaylee Keil: much more all encompassing of how they're, how they're feeling in life in general.

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Melinda Lee: And how does your, how does a group? The nimble group support how does this organization support those.

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Kaylee Keil: Careful in that way.

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Kaylee Keil: Yeah, that's a that's a really good question. We have a few events throughout the year that solely focus on human resources, professionals, human resources, executives, and

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Kaylee Keil: preparing them, supporting them, giving them some time out, and and that looks like additional resources that looks like

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Kaylee Keil: coaching and and training in the Dei space, in the leadership space in the more traditional tactile space of Hr. But we're also really building communities so common. We hear

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Kaylee Keil: Hr. Is so lonely, and it truly can be, especially for those that work in an organization where they are an Hr. Department of one, and what we build with our events and continue to build upon afterward, are those communities of support for one another. So

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Kaylee Keil: each of us can truly do what we want in in the workforce, and and that is to

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Kaylee Keil: create better workplaces. The future of work is human.

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Kaylee Keil: And and we really focus on supporting that.

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Melinda Lee: Oh, and I love that. And how do you think that communication ties into the future of work?

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Kaylee Keil: Communication really is one of the most or or maybe the most important, skill to

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Kaylee Keil: develop as a leader, and something that really should be developed within emerging leaders. The, you know, strategic planning of secession planning all should encompass communication at its core, and the the biggest challenge within communication is, or that I see, anyway, is the ownership of that communication.

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Melinda Lee: Ownership. Okay, tell me more.

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Kaylee Keil: Of leaders come into their leadership position because they were really good at doing something.

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Kaylee Keil: And the training to become a leader kind of happens almost as a Perk. Once they've been promoted into that leadership position, not necessarily something that they have been developing, and that they've really cultivated more strength in

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Kaylee Keil: to then become a leader. And

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Kaylee Keil: there are a lot of ways that owning leadership really shows up in a positive way, and there are a lot of ways that it is

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Kaylee Keil: easy to recognize when ownership of communication is not happening.

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Melinda Lee: Oh, interesting. So there, I mean, I going back to what you're saying. Most leaders. They they know their their certain core aspect of their job. And then and then they go into a management role. And then suddenly, they know the core aspects of their job. But then, now and suddenly, they're in front of their team, and there's got a lot. It's a high, high learning curve, and you have to do it quickly.

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Melinda Lee: To ramp up quickly to to know how to manage these people and team, which is the core skill in communication. And so are you saying like, can you share a story. I think you probably had a lot of experiences where people are not doing it. Well. Can you share specific story.

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Kaylee Keil: Yeah. So, so previously in, in my professional experience, I was working for a law firm, and I was the Hr director for for that organization.

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Kaylee Keil: I have not gone to law school. I have no legal training other than what is required of a human resources, professional, and in this one situation. I had an employee approach me with concern. They'd seen a brand new

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Kaylee Keil: employee visibly upset, and they were able to discern they had trouble

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Kaylee Keil: completing a task that they've been assigned by their supervisor.

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Melinda Lee: Okay.

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Kaylee Keil: So, you know, really kind of jumping into action. I

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Kaylee Keil: reached out to the Supervisor to let them know that this is a situation kind of unfolding as we speak. I went and

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Kaylee Keil: just touch base with that employee, who, yes, was visibly upset then was

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Kaylee Keil: probably relieved that someone came to just show that they cared, and in the moment, and was there for support, and I was able to say.

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Kaylee Keil: Hey, we're going to be here for you, but of course I I can't

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Kaylee Keil: give anyone any kind of legal instruction, so I couldn't do the the supportive tasks that that person needed in the moment

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Kaylee Keil: I went back to the supervising attorney, and within that follow up conversation, said, Okay, this is exactly what's happening. And you really need to check in with

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Kaylee Keil: this employee.

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Kaylee Keil: Their response in that moment was, I don't have time.

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Kaylee Keil: I can't do that. You have to deal with it.

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Melinda Lee: Hmm.

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Kaylee Keil: Again, that's not something in any company, whether it is legal, financial, whatever industry that is, that is not an Hr

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Kaylee Keil: responsibility. That's a leadership, responsibility, and

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Kaylee Keil: in the that moment ownership of the communication didn't happen.

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Kaylee Keil: So, unfortunately, this employee left the company

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Kaylee Keil: not long after. Not long after this took place, and

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Kaylee Keil: a lot of us can sit here and hear the story and say.

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Kaylee Keil: Oh, my gosh! That's awful! I would not ever do that as a leader.

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Kaylee Keil: How could that leader have thought that was the right thing to do?

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Kaylee Keil: And it is very easy to

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Kaylee Keil: hear something and and know what is kind of inherently wrong about it. But when we're in the moment and these things are unfolding in real time, it's not that easy. All the time

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Kaylee Keil: the recognition of of when we do need to own communication is

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Kaylee Keil: that can be really challenging. That is really where that training and and support in the leadership has clearly been missing, and the the firm I was working for did not necessarily value the leadership

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Kaylee Keil: skills that really should have been cultivated and and felt that Hr. Was responsible for all of that.

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Melinda Lee: Wow!

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Melinda Lee: That's

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Melinda Lee: oh, I hope she's off on a better start or better company, and I'm glad you're there for her. But that's terrible. I I do. I'm taking this very deeply. And really thinking through the times I I know that I probably could have stepped in had better communication. But you like you said in the moment I'm I'm so busy I I'm trying to do other things, and

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Melinda Lee: and then I and then, when it's time maybe to even say something. I haven't put a lot of thought into it, and then it comes out all wrong.

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Kaylee Keil: Yeah, and and you know what?

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Kaylee Keil: That's okay.

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Kaylee Keil: Hr. Professionals can can get a little bit scared about saying the wrong thing sometimes saying the wrong thing can can actually be a little expensive.

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Melinda Lee: Yeah. But yes.

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Kaylee Keil: But not saying anything, as a leader is

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Kaylee Keil: much, much more commonly a really bad thing. And it's not just in difficult conversations. This didn't have to be a difficult event. It didn't have to be a difficult conversation. What could have happened prior to this event happening is the supervisor in the very 1st week with that new employee, and a 1 on one could have just said.

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Kaylee Keil: Hey, when you need support, how am I going to know.

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Kaylee Keil: When you need support, what does it usually look like? What do you value from your supervisor? Those are easy questions. That's not a difficult conversation. In fact, that is typically a really positive kind of conversation. It builds trust, it builds rapport. It is

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Kaylee Keil: really preparing your team member to be

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Kaylee Keil: probably a very high producing employee.

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Melinda Lee: Right right and help save you time in the long run, like if that's.

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Kaylee Keil: Exactly.

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Melinda Lee: Exactly.

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Melinda Lee: Yeah, yeah, just opening up for that. Like that? Simple questions those questions were really, powerful

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Kaylee Keil: And they're they're typically really taken for granted.

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Kaylee Keil: Do I have to ask every person on my team those exact questions? No, but what happens when I don't ask those kinds of questions, when I don't take ownership in that kind of communication.

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Kaylee Keil: What is then going to unfold.

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Kaylee Keil: Uncertainty, miscommunication, an employee feeling that they are not supported, and and all of those things really contribute to an environment that is the opposite of psychologically safe.

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Melinda Lee: Right right? And do you have any suggestions for the that employee that is not feeling like they're supported anything. What can that employee do

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Melinda Lee: or say?

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Kaylee Keil: Certainly, and and a leader, of course, needs to own

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Kaylee Keil: communication from the very start to the very finish.

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Kaylee Keil: But each employee does certainly have their own ownership to communication as well, and in a a situation that feels really tricky.

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Kaylee Keil: they have a couple of different options. One of those options is to take a a partner is to be vulnerable and say.

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Kaylee Keil: I have a challenge that I need support with

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Kaylee Keil: owning our challenges. Naming them can be really tough, but

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Kaylee Keil: you know, having grace for ourselves in those situations, are really only going to help us.

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Melinda Lee: yeah, so finding some other support and ally to talk through and naming the challenge.

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Kaylee Keil: Exactly.

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Melinda Lee: And getting the support needs from someplace.

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Kaylee Keil: Ex. Exactly. If it cannot be your leader that you get your support from.

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Kaylee Keil: find where you can get that support from.

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Melinda Lee: Right? Right? There's a lot.

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Kaylee Keil: And if.

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Melinda Lee: Process.

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Kaylee Keil: Right? Exactly. There's lots of resources at the end of the day. If you feel like you can't find support and any avenue.

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Kaylee Keil: You're probably not in the right place.

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Melinda Lee: Yeah.

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Melinda Lee: yeah, hopefully, there's not. I mean, companies are seeing more and more how important the leader is. I think you know, I think you know, the manager is one of the most important people in that have influence over the employees, and so I hope that these managers really take that into consideration the impact that they have.

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Kaylee Keil: Yes.

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Melinda Lee: Yeah.

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Kaylee Keil: Yeah, about 70% of the Us. Workforce says they will or have left a job because of a leader.

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Melinda Lee: Because of a leader, their direct manager, 70%.

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Kaylee Keil: 70%. Yeah. And on the flip side of that

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Kaylee Keil: companies that really value training for their leadership and prioritizing communication

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Kaylee Keil: are about a hundred 50% time, or 150 times more profitable.

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Melinda Lee: Hmm! Wow!

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Kaylee Keil: There's a there's a really.

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Melinda Lee: Depends

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Kaylee Keil: There's a really big difference, and it's pretty tangible. When you look at the details in that way of why communication and leadership is a must do. It's a must own, and it's not in the big, grand moments of leadership. It's in the micro moments it is in the everyday.

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Melinda Lee: Oh, every day. And so what would I'd like to segue and just end off with this last final question, what is that one leadership golden takeaway out of everything you said, which was so valuable that you want people to remember.

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Kaylee Keil: Yeah, yes.

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Kaylee Keil: my! My golden takeaway is something that I I use regularly as a leader. It is. If you see something.

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Kaylee Keil: say something.

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Melinda Lee: Hmm.

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Kaylee Keil: That's owning communication that's recognizing when communication should happen. And that's

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Kaylee Keil: actually following through with that communication.

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Melinda Lee: and doing something about it versus

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Melinda Lee: run away from it. Avoid it it doesn't usually or or at least, if you're going to take the time to think through it, but eventually address it. When the time is right. You have to make sure the timing is really important.

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Kaylee Keil: Exactly, timing is very important, and again, not just in difficult conversations, but also in recognition and celebrations in.

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Melinda Lee: Yeah.

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Kaylee Keil: Recognizing that someone is going through a moment of healing and supporting them in that.

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Melinda Lee: Yeah, yeah, communication is really about connection, just making, you know, having those touch points of connection with others.

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Kaylee Keil: It is. Yes, exactly.

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Melinda Lee: Oh, I love it, Kaylee. That was powerful relatable, and I trust that the audience got their golden takeaway so they can implement right away and make a difference in their communities. Thank you so much, Kaylee.

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Kaylee Keil: Thank you so much, and thank you all.

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Melinda Lee: Thank you. Super fun. Thank you. Audience, for listening. I trust that you are. Well, you're gonna do the thing. You're gonna be that leader out there speaking flow even when it's challenging. Make those connections remember, anytime you do communicate. It is all about connection, and also making a difference in the world. So until next time I'm your sister in flow. Take care, much love.

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Melinda Lee: bye.