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It’s a power button.

For over a decade we’ve watched leaders at all levels and in all parts of the globe use a love ’em approach to building loyal, committed, productive teams. All that in an era when some said (incorrectly) that loyalty is dead. Their employees cannot be enticed away by a 10 percent raise or a gym or a massage on Fridays. They love their jobs, their teams, their bosses, and yes, their companies. And because of that, their companies win.

.. not a toggle switch

In contrast, we’ve seen leaders lose talent regularly and unnecessarily. In some cases these not-so-successful leaders matched their engagement and retention efforts to economic highs and lows. In the good times, when jobs were plentiful and talented people had choice, managers offered perks, praise, and promotions. In bad times, these leaders developed a cavalier attitude about their employees. Many felt – and some actually said – “Quit whining – be glad you have a job.” In every case, they failed to use the love ’em approach.

So what is the love ’em approach in a nutshell? It’s a mindset, a philosophy of dealing with people and a way of effectively managing them. Some people told us the word love would not be accepted in the business world. We tried, and we failed to find an alternative – another word that stood for so much. Love ’em leaders genuinely care about their people. They appreciate, nurture, grow, recognize, challenge, understand, and respect them. And they believe this is the job of being a leader.

In contrast, non–love ’em leaders are more apt to ignore their employees, tell them what to do and when to do it, expect obedience, fail to respect them, thank them, challenge them, care about them. Ultimately, they believe the love ’em approach is not part of their job.

What’s the payoff with the love ’em approach?

You might wonder why you’d bother to care more, listen more, develop more. What’s in it for you? For the organization? Whether you manage one or hundreds of people, our research and others’ definitively show that you can influence those things that keep people engaged, on your team, and producing at their peak. You have more power and influence in the employee engagement and retention equation than anyone else! And engaged, highly productive employees help you, your team, and your organization excel.

Four important words that drive the message

Readers of our book (this is our fifth edition) have loved the title Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay. But it’s not just a catchy title. The words drive the heart of our message. Here’s how we’re using these words:

Love

It’s easy. Treat employees fairly and respectfully. Listen to them. Help them get what they want and need. Thank them. Challenge and develop them. Care about them, and you will engage and retain them.

Lose

Loss is just as serious when talent retires on the job as when they leave to join a competitor.

Good

Consider your solid citizens, not just your high-potentials. Stars are people at any level who bring value to the organization.

Stay

Encourage talented employees to stay with the enterprise (if not your own department). Talent will be the key differentiating factor in the competitive battle ahead.

Research Base

Global research supports this approach. We use exit interview information, focus groups, and the Internet. We (and dozens of helpers) continually scan newspapers, journals, and books. We deliver the love ’em message to managers worldwide, and we learn directly from them and from their employees– what works and what doesn’t.

We ask the question “What kept you?” everywhere.

Our analysis of that data helped us form the original 26 strategies and chapters A–Z. We’ve built on that original research, meeting with more than half a million managers from large and small companies around the world. We’ve listened, consulted, provided training, and learned from them. We continually update our “What Kept You” database (more than 18,000 respondents). All of this helps us refine and expand our engagement and retention strategies.

What’s in this book for you?

Love ’Em is universal.

The suggestions throughout the book should work as well in India as they do in Idaho, with appropriate customization for cultural, language, or individual differences.

Love ’Em is timeless.

The love ’em approach works as well in 2020 (we plan to be around!) as in 1999 (first edition).

Love ’Em is timely.

For the fifth edition, we’ve updated the stories, statistics, and workplace views so that they are relevant for you as a manager now.

Updated content for you:

• Practical to-do lists

• Multiple business examples about what worked to engage and retain talent around the globe

• Real-life “alas” stories about losing solid performers

New for you:

• More stats, stories, and cultural references from global contributors

• A ponderable at the beginning of every chapter, to introduce key themes and to spark your thinking

• A “Calling All Managers of Managers” section in the back matter, to highlight what leaders can do to strengthen the engagement/retention skills of the managers who report to them

We’ve kept the navigation tools in the book that you find helpful:

• Helpful “go to” icons linking to more ideas about what interests you most

• A retention/engagement index (REI) to guide your learning (moved to the beginning of the book so you won’t miss it!)

Make this yours

We wrote Love ’Em or Lose ’Em to make your life easier, to help you in a realtime, day-to-day way. We wrote it because you make such an impact on the lives of your workforce. That’s an awesome responsibility that deserves all the help and support it can get.

★ Create and implement your own, unique version of the love ’em approach.

★ Use this as your guide – as you would use a GPS.

★ Return to it again and again.

★ Dog-ear the page corners.

★ Use a highlighter on what matters most to you.

★ Put a bookmark in key chapters, and leave the book on your own manager’s desk!

★ Personally commit to implementing the key message of just one chapter. Start by reading Ask and Buck – then go anywhere you want.

Bottom line: make the love ’em approach your daily practice

The Love ’Em or Lose ’Em approach to engaging and retaining talent is not something you turn on and off, syncing to the latest economic blip and the corresponding concern about keeping talent.

It works best when it’s authentic and perennial, when you clearly believe in it and demonstrate it daily in your actions with the people you want on your team.

Talent is everything. As a manager, you know that. You need your talented people to stay with you. These people are critical to your success. And your competitors want them!

So how will you keep them engaged? Excited about coming to work and performing at their peak? How will you get them to stay (both psychologically and physically) while others try to entice them away? Love ’Em or Lose ’Em will show you how.