I was working on an Employee Retention presentation last week, and my son Carl was in town visiting.
I love brainstorming with Carl because he can often put things in a different but interesting perspective from a leadership viewpoint. He does some coaching and has such an incredible & natural mindset for my line of business. Some day I will get him to work with me, but music is his first love so at least for now, that’s not happening.
Anyway, I was trying to organize my thoughts on the presentation, and Carl said something in a way that got my attention. The verbiage he used was simple and also seemed crazy, actually to me a bit profound, yet it was so ‘on point.’ PERFECT!
He said (and I quote)
“Give A Shit!!! You need people who give a shit. That’s the first step”. – Carl Fidurski
He used the shit word for a little shock factor; I get that. He is very artistic and knows how to make an impact. So maybe us ‘older folk’ (aka baby boomers), need to take a lesson from this millennial mind and shake our message up a bit! Get the attention this subject deserves. Maybe we (at least me) are just too boring?? I didn’t think that before this brainstorming session. Oh, crap (yes, that was a pun!).
I liked it but didn’t feel ‘comfortable.’ This IS me after all. The person who has studied business image and etiquette for most of my professional life. Me, who is always focused on the proper approach regardless of the situation. Not a terribly bad word, and not one I don’t use occasionally but in a business setting? Hummmmm This would be S T R E T C H I N G outside my comfort zone. But what if people think I am not professional, I thought.
As I considered it more, I chuckled. I always taught my son to stretch outside his comfort zone! Could this be role reversal? I am not sure if I like that! Ok, actually I love it!
Business owners, if you care about your employee retention, and, employees if you care about your job the first step is to (are you ready?) Give A Shit.
There! I did it. Now I am going to call my son and thank him for his help. It felt sensational!
How do you get important messages out with the intensity and focus they deserve? I would love to hear your ideas. However you say it, people who do not care about their employees will probably not keep them for long. If you do, they could just be on the wrong team.
Thank you, Carl. I’m proud of you, again!
One last thought. How did our kids get smarter than we are?
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