Dj, You are right on target with all of your suggestions. Another idea (and another MaxKnowledge course offering) is to effectively and selectively delegate tasks to employees in allow them to develop new skills. Regarding your first suggestion, I agree completely with involving staff in the decision-making process. Where we so often have difficulty is that we fail to communicate decisions and the reason or reasons why a particular decision was made. I also agree with your second point. I would take it a step further and make certain that once we know what motivates them, we need to take action to show we heard them and did something about it. Your point on staff development is important as well since this is the area which so often gets cut when budgets get tight. This can be such a win-win if handled appropriately. It definitely impacts retention. Dr. Patricia Kapper