She gave four months of signals before she quit, and nobody read them.
High performers rarely leave without warning. The warning is just more subtle than the resignation.
Disengagement follows a pattern: 1. Initiative drops. 2. Conversations get shorter. 3. They go quiet in the room. 4. The language shifts from owner to observer.
Every one of those is actionable if you’re paying attention.
So when you lose someone great and it blindsides you, that surprise is the tell. You stopped being curious about her long before she gave notice.
Retention is an attention strategy, and it has to be paid – daily!
Four months of signals. No one acted. She left for a competitor that paid her the same and made her feel seen. The person who replaced her took eight months to match her output.
Great people don’t disappear overnight. They fade while you’re looking somewhere else. – Mike Brewer
Who’s your highest performer right now? And when did you last have a real conversation about their growth, their experience, and whether they feel seen here?
If you have to think about it, that’s your answer.