CHAPTER TWO

How They Disengageand Quit

Some quit and leave . . .      others quit and stay.

—ANONYMOUS

Before I introduce the main reasons employees disengage, it is essential that we understand the dynamics of how they go through the disengagement process. Understanding the unfolding nature of employee disengagement helps us see how we can interrupt the process and salvage key talent at any of several steps down the decision staircase.

The first thing to realize is that employee turnover is not a single event; it is really a process of disengagement that can take days, weeks, months, or even years until the actual decision to leave arrives (if it ever does). Here’s what David, an accountant, told me three weeks after resigning:

“On my very first ...

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