Keep Calm and Retain On: Proactive Curiosity Is The Secret Sauce
Regardless of the changes that may be rocking their particular industry or sector, organizations are still battling the perennial issue: “How do we keep our best people from checking out, burning out or walking out?” Add to that the anxiety caused by market swings and new technology, and it’s clear: retaining critical staff is a must right now, but no easy feat. Regardless of how AI and other tools increase efficiency, it’s humans that make a business work.
So here’s the real question for leaders: How are your most important people actually doing? What do they find engaging and fulfilling about their work? What creates headaches or frustration? What gets in the way of them doing their best work? If they had a magic wand, what’s one thing they’d change so they and their teams could be more effective?
Listening Before You Leap: A Real-World Example
A few years back, I worked with the CEO of a global organization who’d heard some internal rumblings that his country directors felt underpaid. He was deeply concerned as this role was utterly critical to his company’s success. His first instinct was to commission a compensation benchmarking study—a move that would have cost $10-20K. But after discussing his concerns, we took a different route that focused on curiosity and discovery:
· I (a neutral outsider) conducted confidential, one-on-one conversations with the every Country Director.
· I then summarized overall themes that emerged from these discussions and shared with the CEO.
· The people I spoke to understood that their individual responses were not shared, just the common topics that emerged.
· The CEO committed to sharing the findings back with the Country Director group after he had reviewed them.
When given a confidential space to share what was really on their minds, very few of the country directors mentioned pay at all. Instead, their real challenges came down to areas the CEO could focus on without expensive outside studies or consultants. By talking openly about what he learned and following up with each director individually to get further perspective, the CEO not only saved money but built even deeper trust and commitment within his leadership team.
He later told me those follow-up conversations were the biggest benefit of the project. They led to incredibly robust and substantial exchanges.
Why It Works—Especially Now
In times like these—when anxiety about AI, hybrid work, or market disruption is running high—guesswork is a costly gamble. Surveys and annual reviews only scratch the surface. The personal, confidential conversations reveal what people care deeply about, what keeps them up at night, and what inspires them to stay and deliver their best.
At times, having a neutral third party conduct the initial 1x1s can take the pressure off everyone and lead to more honest insights. These conversations surface new insights and real needs—often the same “must-fix” issues the rumor mill misses or mislabels.
Practical Next Steps
Don’t wait for your top talent to burn out or head for the exit. Proactive, genuine conversations today can prevent a retention problem tomorrow.
Follow-through is key. Use what you learn as a starting point for real dialogue. Instead of debating concerns, listen—curiosity is the key.
Remember - listening and acknowledging someone’s point of view doesn’t indicate agreement, but it does indicate respect and lays the groundwork for ongoing candid conversations.
Anecdotal complaints or rumors usually don’t tell the full story. Ask, listen, and follow up before making big, expensive decisions.
Regardless of how AI and other tools increase efficiency, it’s humans that make a business work and candid open conversations drive the relationships which drive success.
Disruption and uncertainty are here to stay. But checking in with your top talent and critical roles is a powerful, low-cost way to safeguard your organization’s future.
Ready to find out what’s really on your top talent’s minds—and build an even stronger, more resilient team? Let’s connect and talk about the best next steps for your organization.