As we build organisations, raise families, work with teams, do we want to create a culture around fear or around support? We know we certainly can get employees, kids and even dogs to obey because of fear. But is that the kind of culture we want to develop as we move into the future? Do we want our next generation to continue perpetuating these fears and projecting them on to even future generations?
During this period of the Resignation Tsunami, it is important for companies to begin realising the implicit fear-based tactics they apply on staff. It usually surrounds the idea of scarcity and how they might not be able to find a job, or even come back to their job. I’ve heard more than once teachers who yearn to leave the MOE schools and to explore their own interests and passions only to stay because they cannot be sure their passions can translate to some livelihood, and also because they’ve been reminded in one way or another that it would be hard to return to teaching service.
I think that any organisations that claims it is hard to return to it once one leaves should be flagged out. That is a major red flag because an organisation most certainly would embrace talents and sure enough, many people who leaves within a short period leaves a bad impression and may be assessed as one whom the organisation do not prefer. That’s not a punishment for the people who left but simply an observation on their quality. Again, we have to be aware and conscious these are fear-based tactics to talent management and retention.
At some point, the public institutions and government service ought to help regulate against such abuses of power on the part of the employers. Moreover, when employees take back their power in a labour market facing shortage of labour, and then exercise their power, employers tend to blame them for being unfit for the work or being entitled. Yet such sense that the fault lies on employees is generated from centuries of power imbalances, especially in the global south and eastern economies where labour seems to be abundant. As a society, we need to decide if we want this to continue.