What’s the biggest challenge you face with very experienced employees with long tenure?

Our reader poll today asks: What’s the biggest challenge you face with very experienced employees with long tenure?

• Keeping them excited about their roles – 32%
• Getting them to mentor those who will replace them – 17%
• Understanding what motivates them day to day – 15%
• Overcoming complacency they demonstrate – 25%
• Keeping up with them because they’re so good at what they do – 6%
• Something else – 5%

Motivating Experienced Employees. 72% of you report your biggest challenge is some form of motivation for your very experienced employees. 32% said it’s about keeping them excited, 15% about daily motivation, and 25% is overcoming complacency. Regardless of which of these challenges you’re facing, they all come down to motivation. The best way to figure this out is through a direct and candid conversation. Ask them what they want out of the role. Ask what motivates them, Have them explain the biggest challenges or dissatisfiers they deal with and how you can help overcome them. Rather than applying what you think would motivate them (and we often make the mistake of trying to motivate others the same way we’d like to be motivated), go directly to the source and see what would make them excited every day. Do what you can to meet those needs. Telepathy doesn’t work. Speak with them directly.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.