Building good working relationships with your colleagues is vital, because a negative relationship may result in a potential loss of talent and experience that can never be replaced.

2. Workplace surveys conducted by
Manpower Inc. indicate that despite
an economic slow-down, there has
been a steady increase in the number
of individuals who plan to look for
new job opportunities. In 2010, the
figure was 60%. In 2011, the estimate
was 84%!

3. As the year comes to a close, it will be
interesting to note whether the trend
continued, as well as predictions for
2012 and beyond. Whether the
numbers remain consistent, the
impact of workforce mobility and
knowledge transfer on organizations
cannot be understated.

4. The most common reasons cited for
leaving or thinking about leaving a job
relate to overall job satisfaction,
relationship with one’s immediate
manager or supervisor and low
morale. The cost of turnover will
always be significant and on-going,
despite economic conditions.

5. Yet, while it is true that some aspects
of an employee’s decision are outside
of an employer’s control, the most
neglected area of focus in my view
relates to the intangible workplace
motivators. The highest priority ought
to be on building and sustaining
outstanding workplace relationships.

6. If employers paid greater attention to
developing a deeper understanding of
the make-up of their teams, sought to
meaningfully improve communication;
as well as a create more informal
opportunities for people to connect
and share ideas at work, a happier and
more productive work atmosphere
would ensue.

7. In a nutshell, organizations place an
enormous focus on attracting talent.
However, once on board, less
attention is given to creating an
environment where people want to
stay and voluntarily contribute to the
overall goals and objectives.

8. In my experience working with
businesses of every description, the
reason many people become
dissatisfied in their jobs is because
being heard and acknowledged by
management and co-workers is an
ultimately lower priority than the
work itself.

9. At all levels, everyone feels the
pressure of managing their daily
workload. As a result, paying
attention to the human element
becomes neglected.

10. I recently worked with a highway
maintenance company, presenting on
the topic of improving workplace
communication.

11. During their weekend retreat, people
privately shared ideas to improve
productivity by having a different set
of tools available on the job that could
cut road maintenance costs by one
third in their area. Yet, their crew has
no influence on the equipment
purchasing decision.

12. From their perspective, they feel that
their hands-on experience could
immediately benefit their employers’
productivity and profitability.

13. Meanwhile, the leadership team may
have examined the business case for
purchasing different equipment,
although their findings or rationale
isn’t apparent to the front line.

14. Opening the lines of communication
could make a significant difference.
When organizations make the time to
listen and create more opportunities
for dialogue, miscommunication can
be avoided, trust builds and
relationships become stronger.

15. In the absence of prioritizing greater
connection between management and
staff on a regular basis, the seed is
planted for growing dissatisfaction in
the workplace. Ultimately, a negative
outcome may result in a potential loss
of talent and experience that is
difficult to replace.

16. https://www.michelleray.com/better-
workplace-relationships-the-key-to-
retention/