An often visited theme here on my blog, and one appearing in our book, Positioning Success (page 60), is that people one of the most powerful reasons people stay with an organization is because of the people they work with!  Futhermore, they are not driven by outlandish salaries; they are motivated by such intangible issues as being treated with respect and dignity, having a sense of worth and accomplishment in the tasks performed, and being able to have a positive impact.

They want managers and leaders to cut out the BS and let them work!

In fact, a recent Gallap Poll indicated that two-thirds of Americans would take the same job again, and 90% are somewhat satisfied with their jobs (Wall Street Journal, Jared Sandberg's column, April 15, 2008).  Take away the corporate politics and the power-mongering, and most people really do enjoy the work they do!

To verify this notion, examine the exit interviews of those leaving your organization over the past 12 to 18 months.  How many times did these sentiments appear: "I am sorry to leave my coworkers," or "I'll miss the folks I worked with," or "I enjoyed working with my team."

Managers must cultivate an atmosphere that allows employees to feel they are making an impact on the success of the organization, and they must feel their team is striving in the same direction.  Managers must screen out the internal mayhem so that it does not impact team-level cohesiveness.  Execute and this orientation, then, easily becomes the foundation for your organization's success.  And yours.