All of the above information while general can also be applied to the profession of the project manager.

The Domino Effect

The loss of a project manager during any phase of the project can signal disaster. Many times while the methodologies for managing projects are set forth by the PMO (Project Management Office), individuals have their own unique system for completing tasks and organizing workloads. Therefore, the ramp up time associated with trying to decipher how an individual works can bring the project to a screeching halt. Project staff members find themselves asking the

Employee turnover is simply a fact of life in the business world. The days when employees would stay and grow with a company for the duration of their working life are gone. Studies today reveal that individuals stay with their current employer a maximum of five years before moving on. While 0% turnover is simply unrealistic, increased turnover in your organization could indicate a serious problem in your working environment.

In a random poll of project managers conducted for this article, the following reasons were given for high turnover among project managers at organizations today:

• Internal communication problems
• Poor time management
• Trouble scheduling and controlling staff
• Lack of project manager authority and experience
• Poor staff training
• No project management tools/systems
• Monetary compensation

Organizations are in a constant state of restructuring. The demand for experienced and dedicated project managers is on the rise, however it seems that less experienced personnel are attracted to the profession. So then why do some organizations experience increased turnover?

Generally speaking, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently found that 40% of those that quit their jobs were doing so because they simply felt a lack of appreciation, of teamwork, that the organization was perceived to not care about employees. Serious charges from 40% of the people.

As of February 2005, the average turnover rate in the United States was 3.1%. And while that number seems low, when you think about how many employed individuals there are in the United States alone that number can be staggering. And yet many organizations let turnover go undetected.

CEO’s just accept it as part of doing business in today’s competitive marketplace. But more cost conscious and successful organizations will see the negative cost factors that turnover inevitably will have on productivity, quality and service.

F. Leigh Branham believes there are Six Truths About Employee Turnover. They are as follows:

1. Turnover Happens
2. Some Turnover Can be Desirable
3. Turnover is Costly
4. More Money is NOT Always the Answer
5. Management Holds the Key to Keeping Talent
6. Reducing Turnover Starts with Commitment

All of the above information while general can also be applied to the profession of the project manager.

The Domino Effect

The loss of a project manager during any phase of the project can signal disaster. Many times while the methodologies for managing projects are set forth by the PMO (Project Management Office), individuals have their own unique system for completing tasks and organizing workloads. Therefore, the ramp up time associated with trying to decipher how an individual works can bring the project to a screeching halt. Project staff members find themselves asking the f

In a random poll of project managers conducted for this article, the following reasons were given for high turnover among project managers at organizations today:

• Internal communication problems
• Poor time management
• Trouble scheduling and controlling staff
• Lack of project manager authority and experience
• Poor staff training
• No project management tools/systems
• Monetary compensation

Organizations are in a constant state of restructuring. The demand for experienced and dedicated project managers is on the rise, however it seems that less experienced personnel are attracted to the profession. So then why do some organizations experience increased turnover?

Generally speaking, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently found that 40% of those that quit their jobs were doing so because they simply felt a lack of appreciation, of teamwork, that the organization was perceived to not care about employees. Serious charges from 40% of the people.

As of February 2005, the average turnover rate in the United States was 3.1%. And while that number seems low, when you think about how many employed individuals there are in the United States alone that number can be staggering. And yet many organizations let turnover go undetected.

CEO’s just accept it as part of doing business in today’s competitive marketplace. But more cost conscious and successful organizations will see the negative cost factors that turnover inevitably will have on productivity, quality and service.

F. Leigh Branham believes there are Six Truths About Employee Turnover. They are as follows:

1. Turnover Happens
2. Some Turnover Can be Desirable
3. Turnover is Costly
4. More Money is NOT Always the Answer
5. Management Holds the Key to Keeping Talent
6. Reducing Turnover Starts with Commitment

All of the above information while general can also be applied to the profession of the project manager.

The Domino Effect

The loss of a project manager during any phase of the project can signal disaster. Many times while the methodologies for managing projects are set forth by the PMO (Project Management Office), individuals have their own unique system for completing tasks and organizing workloads. Therefore, the ramp up time associated with trying to decipher how an individual works can bring the project to a screeching halt. Project staff members find themselves asking the

Organizations are in a constant state of restructuring. The demand for experienced and dedicated project managers is on the rise, however it seems that less experienced personnel are attracted to the profession. So then why do some organizations experience increased turnover?

Generally speaking, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently found that 40% of those that quit their jobs were doing so because they simply felt a lack of appreciation, of teamwork, that the organization was perceived to not care about employees. Serious charges from 40% of the people.

As of February 2005, the average turnover rate in the United States was 3.1%. And while that number seems low, when you think about how many employed individuals there are in the United States alone that number can be staggering. And yet many organizations let turnover go undetected.

CEO’s just accept it as part of doing business in today’s competitive marketplace. But more cost conscious and successful organizations will see the negative cost factors that turnover inevitably will have on productivity, quality and service.

F. Leigh Branham believes there are Six Truths About Employee Turnover. They are as follows:

1. Turnover Happens
2. Some Turnover Can be Desirable
3. Turnover is Costly
4. More Money is NOT Always the Answer
5. Management Holds the Key to Keeping Talent
6. Reducing Turnover Starts with Commitment

All of the above information while general can also be applied to the profession of the project manager.

The Domino Effect

The loss of a project manager during any phase of the project can signal disaster. Many times while the methodologies for managing projects are set forth by the PMO (Project Management Office), individuals have their own unique system for completing tasks and organizing workloads. Therefore, the ramp up time associated with trying to decipher how an individual works can bring the project to a screeching halt. Project staff members find themselves asking the

CEO’s just accept it as part of doing business in today’s competitive marketplace. But more cost conscious and successful organizations will see the negative cost factors that turnover inevitably will have on productivity, quality and service.

F. Leigh Branham believes there are Six Truths About Employee Turnover. They are as follows:

1. Turnover Happens
2. Some Turnover Can be Desirable
3. Turnover is Costly
4. More Money is NOT Always the Answer
5. Management Holds the Key to Keeping Talent
6. Reducing Turnover Starts with Commitment

All of the above information while general can also be applied to the profession of the project manager.

The Domino Effect

The loss of a project manager during any phase of the project can signal disaster. Many times while the methodologies for managing projects are set forth by the PMO (Project Management Office), individuals have their own unique system for completing tasks and organizing workloads. Therefore, the ramp up time associated with trying to decipher how an individual works can bring the project to a screeching halt. Project staff members find themselves asking the

All of the above information while general can also be applied to the profession of the project manager.

The Domino Effect

The loss of a project manager during any phase of the project can signal disaster. Many times while the methodologies for managing projects are set forth by the PMO (Project Management Office), individuals have their own unique system for completing tasks and organizing workloads. Therefore, the ramp up time associated with trying to decipher how an individual works can bring the project to a screeching halt. Project staff members find themselves asking the following questions after a project manager departs:

• Where did they leave off?
• Who were their contacts?
• Were they organized?
• Will there be ramp up time associated with understanding their job?
• Were they on schedule or will you need to bring the project up to speed?
• Is it more cost effective to divide the work or train someone new?
• Have stakeholders been notified of any new developments?
• Has the budget been adhered to?

In fact the departure of a project manager influences all of the following:

Scope – What needs to get done
Time – Ramp up increases
Cost – Overtime and training
Quality – Deadlines effect final outcome
Communication – Promises made cannot always be kept
Procurement – Poor choice of outside vendors

So how then can turnover be prevented among project managers? As we discussed in the beginning, 0% turnover is improbable. Limited turnover however can be viewed as desirable for organizations. For instance new employees are bound to bring new ideas and methods with them thus revitalizing what might have been a stale environment to work in.

But turnover in and of itself is not fully understood. Many organizations fail to realize the high costs associated with turnover at many levels. Turnover can become a financial burden to your organization with recruitment and selection costs, training for new employees, ramp-up time, increased work loads for existing employees, overtime, reduced productivity and that’s just naming a few. In fact it costs a company approximately 1/3 of a new hire’s salary to replace an employee. If more organizations took the time to view turnover as a financial hit rather than passing it off as part of day to day business life they might save their organizations ten’s of thousands of dollars.

There are ways to not only reduce the amount of turnover at your organization but also to be prepared for it. In the random poll of project managers conducted for this article, the following suggestions were given as ways to reduce the amount of turnover among project managers:

• Offer training opportunities to increase knowledge areas
• Assess the changing workforce culture
• Measure the companies turnover rate
• Become more employee oriented
• Hire the right people
• Set up effective Change Management

While change in inevitable in an organization, you can be prepared. Issues arise in the normal course of project activities and timely resolutions are essential to maintaining project timelines and team momentum as well as keeping stakeholders happy. Change Management practices can help. A Change Management plan with immediate response that can be implemented q