Managers account for at least 75% of the reasons people give for voluntarily leaving their job (source). That’s great evidence for the old adage: People don’t leave companies; they leave managers.
You can be a different kind of manager – one who makes people want to stay. Cultivating strong, positive relationships with the people you manage may be one of the most powerful things you can do to make a difference in their retention, performance and growth.

What’s the quickest, easiest way to get to know your employees and start cultivating those strong relationships?

Here’s a hint. You have to get beyond the boring basics.

In our podcast on this topic, we provide a nice contrast between what you can learn about people from the boring basics (like a bio) versus what you can learn from a more interactive experience like our Focus On You activity.

Listen to the podcast and hear the difference for yourself.

This is part of a series highlighting excerpts from our new book, Managing to Make a Difference. Next up: Go Ahead, Get Close to Your People. Connect with Kim Turnage and Larry Sternberg on LinkedIn to see the latest blog updates.