However, just two short months ago I had a trip that required me to fly from my lovely Omaha airport to Las Vegas. Unfortunately carrier X does not provide the the easiest or shortest way to get there. So on this trip I conceded and booked my flight with another carrier. This was not my first time flying them but it had been some time since my last flight.
To my surprise, it was a great experience. My flights were on time, I was entertained by quite funny flight attendants, received a very nice snack on-board and had my choice of seating. There is definitely something to be said about the treatment I received. For someone whose loyalty wasn't already set, it could have been enough to cause them to switch airlines. Was it enough to make me consider going somewhere else? No. While it was a great experience my loyalty still remains with carrier X. Now, can you say the same thing about your employees?
Many of us take for granted our employees' loyalty. We just expect that they will stay with us. That they should feel honored or even lucky to work for our organization. Well as someone who spends her entire day thinking about our people and the experiences we create for them, I am here to tell you that you are going to lose your best and brightest with this mindset.
People are loyal to organizations for the same reasons I am loyal to carrier X. For the recognition they receive, for the feeling of inclusion they get, for belief in where the organization is headed. People just simply want to feel valued, included and connected. They aren't expecting huge commitments from you. They just want the basic elements we want from our experiences. So I ask you, when was the last time you thought about your own loyalty to your organization? Or even better, when was the last time you thought about your employee's loyalty to your company. It doesn't take a lot to make a person loyal. But it does take a lot to convince them to stay when they have decided to leave or even worse, to get them back if they have already left.
If they already have that loyalty to you it won't matter when they hear about great experiences somewhere else. They will have already made their commitment to you. Have you earned your employee's loyalty? If not, now is the time to start!
