There is an old adage that people quit managers, and not jobs. It maybe true in some cases but I don’t totally agree with that. There are many other factors which contribute directly or indirectly to such a major decision – which maybe :

Some companies like the way things are and employees don’t get a chance to learn anything new. Things continue to go the same way and slowly the good employees who are more ambitious to learn and grow start to leave. Peer pressure play a key role in such a situation and if all your friends have more interesting and rewarding jobs then the pressure keeps increasing.

The workplace energy at the place where one works also plays a key role in projecting an image and energy level which attracts people and also keeps them with the organization. The feeling of good energy obviously plays a role in the creation of the environment at an organization. When the energy goes bad at the workplace it results in good people leaving and not only that it also becomes harder and harder to motivate those of the team who remain.

People read energy very well and when the energy level in a workplace is dark and heavy, everyone can feel it.  At such places people’s faces are tight and they are careful about what they say, and to whom. On the contrary in some workplaces, people chat, smile and laugh, they go about work with pleasure. The difference is pretty obvious and the impact on results is also very apparent.

Most leaders however are not aware of any culture problems and this is because when you are in the situation itself you don’t feel the impact or in other words think all is well and normal. An environment which is negative has an impact on your organization’s ability to be successful in the long run.

What can you do to turnaround such a culture ?

• Healthy organizations make plans and ensure that they are communicated to all employees and followed. They celebrate ‘wins,’ which contribute to creating an environment of motivation.
• Have a lean business oriented structure which empowers competent employees to use their brains and bring about results – raising their level of job satisfaction
• Have an open environment where employees can speak up , disagree or even debate on their point of view with full trust and without fear of repercussions
• Encourage a creative environment where employees are motivated to come up with their ideas. Workplace energy is high and companies are healthy where employees ideas are welcomed and promoted and recognized.

If you wish your company to prosper and have a healthy culture where employees are satisfied and ready to go the extra mile – think about it before it is too late.