I once worked with an organization in crisis. There was a massive exodus of employees. People were fed up with too many decisions that, let’s say, didn’t align with their expectations.

Geniuses with decades of experience walked out the door.

This organization did not think it had a problem. After all, they had no problem attracting new employees.

But like me (and anyone could have told you), untested and inexperienced people can’t replace high performers.

New hires are not a capability. They are an investment. Maybe one day they will give returns for that. Or maybe they’ll be moving on in less than a year.

Change always hurts, even when it’s an improvement.

Replacing a known artist with someone new is especially painful.

Some organizations are hungry to grow, others want to keep what they have, and still others need to shrink.

Either way, pay attention to who is leaving and why.

I can give this advice with confidence. Much of what I say is things you may already be doing. But this? This you need to hear.

Because if there is a mass exodus in any area, you probably weren’t paying attention. Employees will be too tolerant if they feel like their top leaders notice their concerns.

My philosophy is simple. I put in a tripwire, a threshold that tells me when to really sit down and take notice. The exact number varies between organizations – McDonalds thrives on high turnover, primarily because it has established procedures.

Maybe for you, you want a trap as if 25% of your people left in a given year.

The point of a tripwire is that it gives you something to do when certain conditions are met. I promise to do this when the tripwire is triggered:

Panic.

If enough employees leave in a short time, I assume there is a problem and the problem is me.

Yes, even if there are retention issues across the industry lately.

Yes, even if you spoke to those who were leaving and they had good reasons. It doesn’t matter if they won the lottery or if their mother is sick, to leave is to leave.

Here is the benefit of panicking, whether there is a problem or not:

Your people are going to panic. Now they have to do the work of a team with a lot less people.

By asking them if there are any issues, you show that you care and help them manage their new workloads.

And, just maybe, he learns of any fundamental issues that drive his people away.

All of this sounds pretty obvious. But let me tell you, any leader who does this will stand out. A simple inquiry shows that you are paying attention and that you are willing to make life easier for your people.

In my decade of office work, I never saw a leader do this. Senior leaders didn’t notice a crisis even when, in six months, 80% of a team left … and the other 20% said they were looking to move on. Even when the remaining team members reached out to them and did the math, the leaders couldn’t see the problem.

“We can always hire more people!”

Hiring people is brutally difficult.

Solving problems is always easier.

Especially when your first step is to approach your people with an open ear and an even more open mind.

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