Lessons to Learn from Top 10 Resignations of 2012

Retensa presents the “Biggest Quits of 2012,” the most significant resignations in U.S. business, sports, and politics.

New York (I-Newswire) January 7, 2013 - Retensa, a leader in Employee Retention Strategies and Research, publishes its thought provoking eighth annual “Biggest Quits” list. Each year, Retensa compiles a list of the top 10 most noteworthy resignations across all US industries, sports, and government. Three key trends in the 2012 resignations: long term tenure ends quickly, sex scandals, and culture matters.

Trend 1: Life-long careers end abruptly. The most successful NCAA basketball coach has one thing in common with two retail executives from Best Buy, and a tech giant’s introduction of Windows 8. Unlike over 65% of the U.S. workforce who are actively disengaged at work, Patricia Summitt (38 years), Brian Dunn and Richard Schulze (30 and 40 years), and Steve Sinofsky (20+ years) spent most of their career at a single organization. Their determination led them to innovate through several recessions, wars, and presidents. To some, working at one place for more than 5 years seems impossible, but these leaders revolutionized their field by sticking it out. The damage is more severe when they end so quickly.

Trend 2: Despite the lack of work life balance, you still cannot mix business with pleasure. High profile infidelity scandals like Lockheed Martin’s incoming CEO Christopher Kubasik and CIA Director David Petraeus, are more common than ever. Not the type of publicity you want. More importantly, leaders have the responsibility to lead with integrity. When integrity breaks at the top, it’s easier to justify at all levels.

Trend 3: Culture matters, from staff to senior management and executives alike. Motivation and morale of top executives is just as important as staff. Leaders that leave because they don’t like the direction of the company, when they steer the company, is particularly alarming. If leaders don’t think they make a difference, what does everyone else think? Chason Hecht, Founder and CEO of Retensa comments, “Most of us do not choose our employer’s leaders, but we do choose to follow them.” Since what drives leadership to join, stay, and leave an organization is as crucial to developing a retention environment as staff motivation, knowing what makes the “big quits” brings insight to every level.

The 2012 Top 10 Biggest Quits are announced below. A detailed list and description of all 8 years of candidates (and contenders that did not make the Top 10) can be found at Retensa’s Top 10 “Biggest Quits” website. Join the conversation on Twitter with #bigquit.

David Petraeus, CIA, Director
Marissa Mayer, VP of Location and Search
Jim Skinner, McDonald’s, Vice Chairman & CEO
Jim Walton, CNN, President
Brian Dunn & Richard Schulze, Best Buy, CEO & Chairman/Founder
Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live, Actors
Mary Schapiro, Securities and Exchange Commission, Chairperson
Christopher Kubasik & Robert Stevens, Lockheed Martin, COO/President and Retiring CEO
Patricia Summitt, Tennessee Lady Vols, Coach
12 Executives at Zynga

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About the "Biggest Quits" List
The most significant U.S.-based resignations qualify for inclusion on Retensa’s annual “Biggest Quits” List. To make the top 10, Retensa applies three criteria: (1) the magnitude of impact in the individual’s industry or field, (2) the financial loss or loss of influence of the enduring organization, and (3) the degree that the enduring organization is unprepared to respond. View and post your comments on this year’s list at: http://www.biggestquits.com.

About Retensa
Retensa addresses the social and economic impact of employee turnover for public, private, and non-profit organizations on 5 continents in 9 languages. They combine experience and web-based technology to develop, motivate, and retain a company’s best employees. To create the “Retention Environment,” Retensa provides expertise in HR Metrics, Mentoring, On-line Employee Surveys, On-line Exit Interviews, Executive Coaching, Succession Planning and talent management solutions. For more information about the results you can achieve visit www.retensa.com or call 212.545.1280.

To learn more about
Retensa, please contact:
Anna Wong
212.545.1280
anna (at) retensa (dot) com