1️⃣ Retain people by removing the reason to move MIT Sloan argues that retention works better as a system of mobility barriers than as a sequence of counteroffers. Pay is only one part of why valuable people stay.
💡 Why it matters Map what each critical employee would lose by leaving: relationships, autonomy, learning, status or a credible next role. Then manage those ties before an offer arrives.
☕ Coffee talk What would your hardest-to-replace person actually miss if a rival doubled the offer?
2️⃣ Do not let civility suppress the real argument HBR warns that an excessively nice culture can make people soften criticism, delay conflict and leave weak decisions unchallenged.
💡 Why it matters Psychological safety should protect candour, not comfort. Leaders need to reward useful dissent and make disagreement normal before the meeting ends.
☕ Coffee talk Which decision sailed through your last executive meeting because everyone was being pleasant?
3️⃣ Manage the relationships inside the boardroom INSEAD’s board research says governance quality depends on how directors relate to one another, not only on their individual credentials and formal independence.
💡 Why it matters A board can have the right skills and still miss the issue if status, alliances or deference constrain the discussion. Chairing is relational work.
☕ Coffee talk Who changes the subject in your boardroom without ever asking to?