When Your Best People Start to Drift…
You may have noticed it. A star performer who once brought energy now seems quieter. A colleague who used to be full of ideas is suddenly scanning the job market.
Or perhaps some are still showing up, but only just … doing the minimum, rather than contributing with their full potential.
Gallup’s research makes this clear: when people leave, it’s rarely about pay. The top reasons are lack of development and lack of purpose. People don’t just want a payslip; they want a path. They want to feel their work matters and that they’re growing while they do it.
If people cannot see a future with you, they disconnect. That disconnection is costly, not just in recruitment terms, but in lost momentum, ideas and trust. Quietly, the culture suffers.
The good news is that the solution lies within reach. Creating a culture of growth and purpose doesn’t have to be complex. It begins with intentional choices.
> Do your people understand where the organisation is headed, and why?
> Can they see how their own contributions connect to something bigger?
> Are you offering genuine opportunities for development, not just one-off training days?
Inclusion also plays a powerful role. Forbes reports that companies with inclusive cultures are twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets. When people feel seen, heard, and valued, they don’t just stay, they perform.
So the real questions for leaders become:
How intentional are we about building environments where people feel connected to purpose and growth?
What do our people experience most: token gestures, or meaningful investment?
Where could we reframe culture as an enabler of performance, not a side project?
Losing talented people is never just about pay. It’s about whether they believe in the journey and their place in it. If you sense some of your brightest are drifting, now is the moment to pause and ask: what would it take for them to feel truly motivated here?
Because when your best people grow, so does your organisation.