Find Out Why, When People Head for the Exits

It's New Year's Eve, and my trip to the mailbox prompted this topic, which is most appropriate at year's end.  The cover of America Magazine, a weekly put out by the Jesuits, had this question:  Should the Church Do Exit Interviews?  I haven't even read the article, but my response is, "Of course, it should."  And you should, too.

A religious organization is pretty similar to any business, with a lot of the same challenges.  Any business or nonprofit must retain customers, because without customers, an organizations cannot survive.  So it's just common sense that when people leave an organization, we should try to find out why.  That's what Exit Interviews are for.

The concept applies to any human behavior.  People go into the voting booth, choose candidates, and someone wants to know why they voted for certain candidates.  It's an Exit Poll.  Marketing people do opinion surveys all the time.  Hollywood does testing to find out what people liked, or didn't like, about a movie. 

Exit Interviews try find out the "why" behind the human behavior of leaving an organization, and also what people liked or didn't like about the organization.

When someone leaves your organization, that person has fired everyone connected with the organization, especially the managers, right up to the president and CEO.  Any time someone fires you, you want to know why, right?  Then you should do exit interviews whenever someone leaves your organization.

This concept works just as well when a potential client chooses someone else.  When that happens to me, I always try to find out why.  It's not always easy to get them to tell you, but you have to try.

The reason it's appropriate now is because of New Years Resolutions.  Make yours to do more, and better, exit interviews.  My resolution will be to do a better job of getting the information from people who choose someone else for their consulting.  Perhaps an online survey will help me get the info I need.  No matter how you do it, though, Exit Interviews are essential for any organization.

Happy New Year!

Leadership, Thankfulness, and the Christmas Spirit

Christmas is a great time of year for many reasons.  One is that's it usually forces us to consider how lucky we are, and to be thankful for the many blessings we have.  My blessings include a wonderful wife, and two great sons.  And, we're all in good health. 

Even though I'm thankful throughout the year, and try not to take these things for granted, Christmas is a special time for reflection on all these blessings.  A time to thank God, and the people in our lives, for how they make our lives better.

In the world of leadership, it's probably the same.  But how much do we go out of our way to thank those in the business world for what they do for us?  Especially at this time?  I mean more than just a Christmas card.

Clients come to mind.  Also friends and business colleagues who are there when we need them, to share our joys and accomplishments, and also our frustrations and disappointments.  And other good people who, simply by what they do, make our work lives easier.  These people also make our lives better.

We should thank them during the year.  But we should also thank them at Christmas.

So, thank you for all you've done for me throughout the year.  Now it's your turn to thank the people who are important in your life, the people who make your life better.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!