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Thank you for participating in the Stay Interview game.

Should you like to discuss your results or gain help with implementing stay interviews in your organization, feel very free to contact me at DFinnegan@C-SuiteAnalytics.com. I would enjoy hearing from you!

* Others’ Rank is the average ranking for each scenario based on all entries in the system.

Dick Finnegan’s Stay Interview Game Answers

1. Parts-Is-Parts… Robert discovered the right way to coach James and learned several lessons as James took charge of his own career. Ultimately Robert bought time, exposed James strengths to others, and put himself in position to promote him if he believed by the time a position became open that James deserved it.
2. Happy Endings…Marvin smartly used Stay Interviews to address his employee survey results and correctly identified that many of the solutions must come from managers’ changing their styles rather than implementing new programs. Marvin’s shortcoming was that he limited the Stay Interview content and questions to discuss only the top 5 survey issues versus beginning the discussion with open-ended questions to more effectively learn what employees really needed to stay and why they might leave.
3. Tipping Cows… Billie successfully developed a technology training program for Brenda and she appropriately pushed back on Brenda’s plan to get an advantage over others on holidays. Billie’s shortcomings were (1) she had heard Brenda had been having technology problems but didn’t address it until the Stay Interview and (2) she only followed up with Billie when she saw her in the hall and casually asked if the training was working out, versus scheduling a more detailed discussion to ensure the solution was really effective.
4. RENRON Consulting… Eleanor shrewdly designed a way to address Charles’ concern about the company’s reputation by appealing to the true needs of both Charles and her manager. Her shortcomings were (1) she began the Stay Interview meeting by addressing Charles’ known need and did not open the discussion to other topics that might have been important to him, and (2) she did not follow up after the meeting except for an immediate de-brief of their lunch meeting with Mercedes.
5. We Call During Dinner… John improved as a manager as a result of his meeting with Maria but she had to drag him to improvement. First he tried to duck out by combining the Stay Interviews with performance feedback meetings but his manager disallowed it. Then he became very defensive after getting Maria’s feedback such that many employees in Maria’s position would have apologized, said supportive things, and gone back to work in a totally insincere way. But Maria not only persisted in giving him valuable feedback but also guided him appropriately on continuing to begin the other Stay Interviews with an open mind.
6. Rump Roast… Kelly ultimately gave Lester good performance feedback but held it until the Stay Interview which converted the Stay Interview meeting from a potential positive experience to one that caused Lester to distrust her and his peers. The result was turning an adequate performer into one who was disengaged.
7. Burning Bridges… Paul had a clear read on his potential to contribute and had right concerns about his employability. As a result, he took the lead to develop and present a plan that would make him more valuable to his company. Shirley instead decided he wasn’t worth the investment but that she would pay him to contribute less than he potentially could for another 10 years.