The #greatresignation (attribution to whoever came up with this😎) has hit your project.
A bunch of your folk are moving on, leaving the remaining on tenterhooks. Your project intensity, timelines and budget haven't quite been adjusted to reflect this.
You are scrambling to get the replacement job descriptions out in the market. You need to make time for recruitment, far more than you anticipated.
You need to keep the boat floating (hail jargons!) till the leak is plugged (hail again!!!).
✋✋✋But wait!
Do you really need to fuel the great resignation? At the pace you plan to?
It's like a strong earthquake. The initial shake jolts people out but it doesn't end there. The aftershocks keep coming and quite often happen to be equally intense.
You don't start rebuilding your house while the tremors last. You try and find safe high ground.
So what does this mean to your project?
Before we explore this, it is worth remembering that prospective team members you will hire, are most likely come through this #greatresignation from another organisation.
They are likely to be equally, if not more fatigued than the ones who chose to leave yours.
Ctrl+F (Find) + Ctrl H (Replace) is likely to make matters worse.
So what could you do?
Here is a model I recommend to clients, who are going through such a situation:
Reflect - By yourself and with your remaining team, reflect on where the pressure points are, within your project? The roles, the environment, the culture, the workload?
List them down and take time to think through what could have caused people to leave and what could you do to reduce / eliminate those causes. If you had feedback from your leaving team member, even better.
Consider things you could slow down, pause or stop completely. Never a better time to actively do this with intent. Get agreement on these.
Think of things you could change so that a new team member doesn't have to face the same challenges.
👊Tip - Involve your key vendor team members (as well) in this discussion.
Rearrange - Reflections and thinking are great but action is better.
It's like a lessons learnt exercise on projects. Consigned to a file, gathering virtual or physical dust, never to see light again.
Don't let your reflections be this. Put into action the things you and your team agreed on
Consider if existing team members could switch roles and help support an area within the project that needs context and immediate attention.
Don't pile this on top of their existing workload. And if you have no choice, agree on a specific timeframe, at which point you will review together. Who likes to be penalised for staying on the team?🤔
Going through this process consciously will ensure that you not only set your new team member up for success, but you also make it a bit easier for existing ones.
This should also give you insight on which role you actually need to hire for.
👊Tip - It could be different role compared to the one that just got vacated.
Recruit - Now, having done this, commence the actual recruitment.
Check in with your team and your vendors to see if they have someone they would recommend / fulfil respectively.
Be realistic with your recruitment timeframes. If you need people to join immediately, so do other organisations. No one is winning this battle on the might of money in the long term.
Prepare to give the incoming team members some space to settle in. Even lion cubs don't open their eyes for a week after birth. Don't expect a new team member to be flying from Day 1.
👊Tip -It could take longer than you think. And your next superstar could be closer than you see.
Whatever the cause of your initial #greatresignation, by following this or a similar approach, you might (just might) stop fueling it from becoming a wildfire.
Hope this helps. Have a wonderful week ahead.
Cheers
Ganapathy
#greatresignation #projectjoyswithGI #people
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PS: When you are ready, here are some ways I could help:
1) Facing a similar situation or got a different project challenge? - I help clients consciously and carefully manage such situations by helping them review their project and formulate an approach to recover. Email me at gi@ganapathyiyer.com or TEXT me +64 (0) 22 170 7827 with your question and let's get chatting.
2) Mentoring, Coaching, Facilitation, Keynote and Corporate Training - Want to explore how I can help? Let's jump on a call and discuss some ideas. Email me at gi@ganapathyiyer.com so we can lock in a time to chat.
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