Caroline Mboijana, Managing Director, The Leadership Team (U).
Hello William, it is great to hear that you have benefited from system strengthening, which has resulted in a more efficient operation. I am sure your business is reaping the rewards of that time investment and disruption. On the people side, several things may be transpiring.
It could be that the strengthening of systems revealed inefficiency, particularly concerning personnel. Consequently, staff members who were underperforming, both technically and in attitude, may have been exposed; alternatively, the support the business has received may have encouraged staff to become eager to learn and grow, ready to seize opportunities or move on.
You may need to examine your data and consider the following questions; Who are the individuals leaving? What roles did they occupy within your business? Were they responsible for delivering critical work for the industry? What is the impact of their departure on the company – monetary and non-monetary? Once you have answered these questions, you can contemplate a few solutions.
Improving your operations also means you can now appreciate the significance of each role in the business, making it easier to identify critical positions. These roles are so vital to the company that if filled by either a poor performer or left vacant, they can significantly affect the business. Your impact may be measured in terms of finances or customer satisfaction. After this exercise, you will have a clearer understanding of your critical roles, enabling you to determine how to manage them. In some cases, given their importance, these positions may need to be rewarded slightly higher than others. Ensure that you have high performers in these roles so that their success is aligned with the business’s performance.
Another strategy to consider is to take a moment with your teams. They may feel anxious if they have been under pressure during your efficiency review process. You might discover that while the business has improved, the mental well-being of your teams has not. It is essential to check in, especially during times of transformation, regardless of how small, that your staff supports the initiatives; otherwise, you may find that your staff feels disengaged and does not take ownership at the end of the process. You could hold a light-hearted staff meeting, ensuring you listen to their feedback and it helps when they contribute ideas, so you already have their buy-in and ownership when it comes to implementation. Good luck.
