A re-visited 2023 Harvard Business Review article on retaining healthcare workers still resonates today in 2025 and applies to all industries. The critical takeaway is this: Improving organizational culture is a leadership challenge that is more complex than finding the money to increase compensation or correcting the problems that cause unhappiness.
The First Stay Interview – A St. Patrick’s Day Limerick
Shannon’s boss threw a fit,
Though her work was legit,
But he would always just nag,
And incessantly brag,
So she told him the next time, “I quit!”
Seeing error in his way,
He asked her to stay,
“I’ll be kinder”, he committed
Through teeth that he gritted,
But his words sounded just too cliché.
So Shannon said we are due,
To talk or it’s “adieu”,
Then they scheduled a meeting,
That would begin with this greeting,
“Welcome to the first Stay Interview”.
So her boss took a look,
At the Stay Interview book,
Studied probing and listening,
Till his eyes started glistening,
And these were the lessons he partook.
Shannon brought her concerns,
Not expecting to learn,
That her boss could connect,
Who was once circumspect,
So both felt good when they adjourned.
There is a moral here,
That is perfectly clear,
Communication that is open,
Beats wishin’and hopin’,
And helps us all have a better career.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Everyone!
Dick Finnegan is the author of The Power of Stay Interviews, the top-selling SHRM-published book in history. Please email your comments to DFinnegan@C-SuiteAnalytics.com. You are also welcome to forward this blog to anyone you believe would find it helpful.
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