What Keeps People from Quitting, and How to Build It on Purpose
A coordinator sits in her car after shift. She is tired, but not done in. Her manager checked in, not to audit tasks, but to ask what blocked movement and what would help by Friday. A small win was noted. The next step was clear. She turns the key and thinks, I can do another week.
People rarely leave on a bad day. They leave when good days stop meaning anything.
Retention is built on purpose, not hope. This is how you build it.
The four anchors of staying
Clarity. I know what good looks like this week.
Connection. Someone sees my work and has my back.
Progress. We can point to movement that matters.
Fairness. Decisions feel consistent and explained.
Most “quit decisions” are a slow erosion of one or more of these. You fix them with small systems leaders can run inside the week.
I’ve expereinced these anchors disintegrating. So have you.
If you want the mechanics, start with Five Tiny Systems That Change Your Week.
Small systems that keep people
For clarity
Use a three line update for any risky shift or change. What is happening. What could go wrong. What I need.
Define done in one sentence at the start of a task.
For connection
Hold a ten minute check in that asks two questions. What helped. What jammed.
Run peer pods. Twenty minutes. One real problem each. One question each. Stop.
For progress
End Friday with a flow check. What moved easily. What jammed. Choose one test for next week.
Track visible wins on a small board or note. Name the effort behind the win.
For fairness
Keep a decision log. Note what changed, why, and who was impacted. Share once a week.
Use a last ten minutes prompt in team meetings. What could we do better. Pick one idea to trial.
These do not require a new program or budget. They require cadence and follow through.
Why training alone does not hold people
Training teaches models. People need structure to use them when work is noisy. Culture shifts when you change systems and behaviour, not slogans. See Harvard Business Review, To Change Company Culture, Focus on Systems.
Skills stick when leaders practise in context and then reflect. See HBR, 6 Essential Leadership Skills and How to Develop Them.
Mentoring sits in that gap. It gives leaders a steady rhythm to apply, reflect, and adjust without waiting for the next workshop.
Six weeks, six TED Talks, one action each week
Week 1: Simplify work so people can do it
Talk: Yves Morieux, As work gets more complex, 6 rules to simplify
Try this week: For one cross team task, name a single decision owner. Remove one approval step.
Week 2: Make progress visible
Talk: Dan Ariely, What makes us feel good about our work
Try this week: End Friday with a one minute progress note to your team. Name the effort and the outcome.
Week 3: Build cohesion, not superstar silos
Talk: Margaret Heffernan, Forget the pecking order at work
Try this week: In your next stand up, ask, who helped you move something this week. Thank them in the room.
Week 4: Align work with intrinsic motivation
Talk: Dan Pink, The puzzle of motivation
Try this week: For one role, increase autonomy for a single task. Let the person choose method and timing. Review outcomes together.
Week 5: Stop bad meetings draining energy
Talk: David Grady, How to save the world, or at least yourself, from bad meetings
Try this week: Label every meeting decision or discussion in the invite. Decline or re scope any invite without a purpose.
Week 6: Listen first to create shared purpose
Talk: Stanley McChrystal, Listen, learn, then lead
Try this week: After each update, run a reverse brief. Ask someone to play back what they heard and what they will do next.
Signals to watch
Early risk
Silent meetings.
Vague asks.
No visible wins.
Decisions parked without reason.
Healthy signals
Short, specific updates.
One small improvement tested each week.
Managers who ask, what helped and what jammed.
Clear language for done.
For executives
Retention is not a campaign. It is the sum of small, consistent signals from leaders. Audit the levers you control this quarter. Hiring criteria. Promotion signals. Meeting defaults.
What gets measured? Change one lever and attach one small system managers can use by Monday. Model it yourself and share the impact.
For individual leaders and organisations
Lead with less chaos.
Individual leaders, join as a mentee.
Executive teams, partner as an organisation to support managers with mentoring that fits real rosters and real pressure.
If you want the system basics in one place, read Five Tiny Systems That Change Your Week.
Ready to start? Spots are limited.
Secure your place or join the waitlist for the next public cohort. Prefer to mentor. Express interest as a mentor.
About
Samantha Bowen is the Founding Director of Hyphae Network. She helps leaders in aged care, health, and community services build simple systems that hold under pressure. Her mentoring programs have supported more than 400 leaders across Australia. Her work focuses on practical structure, steady teams, and results you can feel on the floor.
FAQs
What makes people stay?
Clear expectations, supportive relationships, visible progress, and a sense of fairness. You can build each with small weekly routines.
What should I start first?
Use the three line update for risk, set a weekly flow check, and keep a decision log. Add peer pods if you can spare twenty minutes.
How does this link to mentoring?
Mentoring provides cadence and accountability so these routines become habits. Leaders apply, reflect, and adjust with someone who knows their context.
How can we measure if this is working?
Look for fewer escalations, cleaner handovers, short specific updates, and one improvement tested each week. Track these for six weeks.
Is this suitable for clinicians moving into management?
Yes. The routines are simple, practical, and respect rosters. They anchor new leaders without extra noise.