Understanding Employee Disengagement: The Three Stages of a Staff Member's Exit
The process of an employee's disengagement from their job often occurs stage by stage, with mental and emotional disconnection preceding physical departure. This step-by-step sequence happens almost every time:
The Heart Leaves First. They are no longer passionate about their work or the organization. Maybe they are no longer aligned with the mission, or maybe they are just bored. It's possible situations outside of their work life are pulling their heart toward something else.
The Mind Leaves Next. They are beginning to dream about what is next. They might still be with you physically for a number of reasons. Perhaps they are waiting for the end-of-year bonus, or waiting for the kids to finish school. Or they just haven't found something else yet, but they are spending most their waking moments thinking about "next" and not about their work.
The Body Leaves Last. By the time they walk into your office with a resignation letter, they've been checked out for quite a while. They have been dreaming and thinking about greener pastures.
This is much easier to see in hindsight than in advance. When they hand you the envelope, you will mentally rewind through the recent weeks or months and quickly realize that their heart and mind has been gone for awhile.
Knowing this heart-mind-body sequence, leaders can potentially spot it early and take action. For those who are low performers, your action might be opening a conversation and looking for ways to help them exit more quickly than they planned. But for the sake of this article, we'll assume you want to spot this early so you can find ways to save your top talent. Here are some practical steps you can apply to avoid significant negative impact on the rest of your team:
Identify Signs of Discontent: Look out for changes in an employee's enthusiasm about their work, participation in team activities, productivity levels, and their general mood. These could be early indicators that an employee's heart is drifting away. Have the begun skipping staff meetings? Do they show up late to meetings? Do they participate less in conversations, especially those that are about the future of the organization?
Open Lines of Communication: Encourage an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their feelings and ideas. Regular one-on-one meetings or feedback sessions can reveal underlying issues that may cause disengagement. Initiate the conversation! Pro Tip: Leadr is hands-down the best software solution for effective one-on-ones and team meetings.
Provide Opportunities for Growth and Development: If an employee's mind is wandering, it might be because they're feeling stagnant or unchallenged. Offering opportunities for professional growth may help reignite their passion. Many people leave organizations because they are under-challenged, and they don't see a clear career path.
If Necessary, Make a Quick Goodbye: Sometimes it can't be salvaged, especially if you notice it too late. If their heart and mind has been gone for months, you probably won't be able to pull them back in. In this case, be as gracious as you can, but keep your goodbyes quick. This is for two reasons: First, you don't want someone hanging around who doesn't want to be there. It will be hard for their lack of enthusiasm (at best) or toxic negativity (at worse) not to leak out onto others. Secondly, for their sake, free them up to go do what they want to do. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, treat them really well and don't make emotional decisions. If someone resigns and requests a final day that is weeks or months away, graciously decline. Keep all the relational bridges intact, but set their last day on the job no more than two weeks out.
Letting go of valued staff members can be a draining experience. Staff transition, however, is a part of the organizational lifecycle that we must adapt to and manage effectively. Understanding the stages of employees' disengagement can help you reduce staff turnover and keep your team motivated, engaged, and invested in your organization's mission.–