When multiple employees leave your organization, it can have a ripple effect across your team. How can you prevent further attrition? What can you do to keep people motivated and engaged? Start by giving your team certainty. For example, if you yourself have no plans to leave the company, make that clear. You might say, “Just so you know, I’m not going anywhere — I will be here for you.” This will create a sense of stability for your team members. Next, figure out workloads so no one is overburdened by the departures. Assess people’s individual and collective capacity and rebalance work as necessary. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust your expectations about what can realistically be accomplished. Give them autonomy. Align on the team’s collective goals, and then allow people to decide how, when, and where they complete their work. For example, could your team members choose some of the projects they work on, or with whom they work? Wherever you can provide people with choices, do so. Finally, let everyone know it’s OK to push back. They can say “no” and question deadlines. Invite them to tell you how much work something that “seems simple” will actually take to accomplish. It’s hard when people around you are quitting. But use this opportunity to recalibrate and solidify the team’s foundation so those who remain are more likely to stay.
Don’t Let Turnover on Your Team Bring Everyone Down