STRATEGY

If your department is experiencing rapid staff turnover you need to proactively address the issue rather than wait to respond to inquiries from your supervisor. Poor management is one of the reasons behind increased turnover. In order to avoid being tarred for the turnover you need to present a solution which indicates that the reason for the turnover is not your management. Realize that increased pay is the solution least likely to get buy‐in, requiring a back‐up plan. Your goal is to get your supervisor on board as your ally and partner in solving the problem. If you're faced with apathy or dismissiveness don't rest easy. It's a mistake to assume that you won't be held accountable for this issue, no matter what your supervisor says. If faced with accusations, stress your research and knowledge and use your memo and determination to get your supervisor on board.

TACTICS

• Attitude: You're determined to overcome the issue and are willing to push through apathy, dismissiveness, and accusations in order to come up with a solution and turn your supervisor into a partner in the effort.
• Preparation: There are four common solutions to high turnover: increased pay, greater flexibility, more engagement, or a different recruiting and hiring approach. Select a preferred approach and document your ideas in a memo. If you choose higher pay make sure to have back‐up approaches.

  
  

• Timing: Approach your supervisor as soon as you've determined there's an issue. If the discussion is launched by your supervisor's realizing there's an issue, or worse, the issue appearing on the executives' radar, it's more difficult to take control of the conversation.
• Behavior: Have this conversation face to face, if possible. Your supervisor will be less likely to blame you for the problems and more likely to become a partner in your efforts.

ADAPTATIONS

This script can be modified to:

• Explain any problematic issue to your supervisor so that it doesn't reflect on you.

KEY POINTS

• Have this conversation as soon as you realize there's a problem.
• Develop a detailed solution to the problem that doesn't reflect negatively on your management approach.
• If you choose a financial solution prepare one or more back‐up solutions.
• Do whatever you can to turn your supervisor into a partner in the effort to solve this problem.