Employee retention is a hot business topic today. No longer do people stay at the same company for 25 years and collect the gold watch like in years past.

In fact, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, the average worker will have 12 jobs from age 18 to 48. It's a shocking statistic. That alone should tell managers that all the time they put into hiring, training and promoting may just be preparation for the employee’s next job -- and chances are it will be somewhere else.

Employees have more bargaining power than ever before. Unemployment is relatively low, and social media makes a company’s employee retention information public knowledge.

Factor in that a recent Gallup Poll shows that only 31 percent of employees are engaged at work, 51 percent are disengaged and 17.5 percent are actively disengaged. Translation: Less than one-third of employees are excited about their jobs. Glassdoor, a website where employees and former employees anonymously review companies and their management, says that the average employee gives their company a C plus (3.1 out of 5) when asked whether they would recommend their company to a friend. In other words, companies need to do a better job retaining their valuable employees.

Then there is the collateral damage. Customers have an uncanny talent for picking up on dissatisfaction, and that can damage the bottom line. Can your company afford that?

Why do people leave companies in the first place? There are many reasons -- changes in benefits, bosses and job responsibilities, difficult co-workers, unethical practices, poor leadership, lack of challenges and many more.

I happen to believe that employees leave managers; they don’t leave companies.

Taking action when your employees are seriously dissatisfied with your organization’s policies or decisions is a test of your leadership. A face-to-face discussion about grievances can clear the air, but you’ve got to be careful to prevent it from turning into an explosive gripe session. A productive meeting needs careful planning, so consider these suggestions:

-- Prepare to hear some painful conversation. Be ready to listen without becoming defensive or arguing back.

-- Limit the size. A group of 10-15 employees is large enough so people don’t feel exposed and singled out, but still small enough so everyone can participate.

-- Assure privacy. Meet in a conference room where you won’t be overheard -- not the lunchroom or break area where other employees might wander in and out.

-- Ask for input. State the problem as you’ve heard it and ask for everyone’s opinions and feedback. Promise that you won’t punish anyone for speaking out, and stick to your word. Ask participants to prioritize a list of concerns so that the most important issues can be addressed first.

-- Respond honestly. Address each complaint. If you believe any issues are invalid, explain why, but be willing to listen to other points of view. Specify what you will do in response to the valid complaints.

-- Follow up promptly. If you can’t resolve a problem immediately, promise that you will respond in a short, specific time.

-- Thank the group. Express your sincere appreciation for their courage and honesty in bringing each issue to your attention. Re-emphasize your mutual goal of working together productively and efficiently so employees know you value their opinions.

That’s a good start, but keeping good employees is a long-term proposition.

Retention depends on more than bonuses and rewards. The best strategies engage employees on the job with equitable and generous compensation and benefits. Reliable, long-term retention depends on actions that managers should be practicing every day.

Coach employees on how to influence, motivate and persuade people. They’ll be able to accomplish more, which will lead to greater job satisfaction, if they can motivate others.

Help them develop their leadership skills. When employees see a path to advancement, they won’t have to look elsewhere for better opportunities. Providing opportunities for leadership shows they can have a future with your organization.

Give constant and immediate feedback. Tell employees what they’re doing right, and how they can improve. They’ll see that you’re paying attention and are committed to their success.

Encourage workers to suggest ideas and innovations, and take them seriously when they follow up. Show that you value their experience and skills.

Recognize their contributions. Praise employees for their efforts, share credit as widely as possible and give their achievements the attention they deserve.

Mackay’s Moral: Solving employee turnover is easier when they own a piece of the pie.

No matter what business you think you are in, you are in the people business. And the more people like you, the better and easier life becomes.

It’s that simple. Likability can get you where you want to go -- whether it’s a promotion at work, election to a political office or building a wonderful circle of friends -- it applies to nearly every facet of life.

Likability is crucial in the sales game because people buy from people they like. People like people who are genuine, pleasant, sincere, easy to talk with and friendly.

You can’t please everyone, as the saying goes, but you’ll do better on the job and in your life by being likable. Since most of us spend more than a third of our lives at work, it’s important to be likable, which will allow us to be more successful.

“Likability is a skill -- something we all universally can work on getting better at,” wrote Rohit Bhargava in his book, “Likeonomics: The Unexpected Truth Behind Earning Trust, Influencing Behavior and Inspiring Action.”

Bhargava focuses on five main principles for businesses to be liked, and he uses the acronym TRUST: Truth, Relevance, Unselfishness, Simplicity and Timing.

Don’t confuse likability with niceness. Nice people will try to make you feel better and protect your feelings, but likable people tell the truth. A perfect example is Steve Jobs, a well-known tough-love truth-teller. He was blunt and transparent, which instilled trust among those who worked with him. And the people closest to him were passionately devoted to him because they knew he would be straight with them.

That holds true for co-workers and customers alike. Your customers have easy access to plenty of information about you, your products and services, comparative pricing and your reputation. Trust is fundamental to being likable.

Simplicity is critical to developing likability. Using plain language helps your message to be understood. Big words might sound impressive, but if they leave your audience wondering if they know what you were talking about ... well, there’s not much to like about that.

When co-workers and friends enjoy your conversation and companionship, they’ll be more eager to help you achieve your professional and personal goals. You can boost your overall “likability” by focusing on these areas:

-- Listen to people. No one likes to be ignored. Pay attention when friends and co-workers are talking to show that you are interested in what they have to say. When you recognize and acknowledge other people’s feelings, you are letting them know that you care about them.

-- Give compliments. Tell people when you like something they’ve done. Honest praise and appreciation are music to everyone’s ears. Even a simple “Good morning” can do wonders.

-- Take an interest in your co-workers’ and customers’ lives. I always try to find out what drives people -- family, hobbies, vacations, goals and so on. You can’t talk business all the time. You might be amazed by the fascinating ways they spend their time.

-- Participate in work-related activities. Even though you’ve already spent 40 hours or more at work, make an appearance at after-work activities or weekend events when possible. Getting to know your co-workers away from the office often enhances relationships at work.

-- Use people’s names. We all like the sound of our own name. Use names often to show that you know and value the person you’re talking to.

-- Ask for help. Most people want to help, and if you ask politely, they’ll enjoy knowing that you respect their talents. By the same token, always help others when they ask you for assistance.

-- Admit your weaknesses and mistakes. Don’t be afraid to show some vulnerability. No one’s perfect, and pretending to be will usually alienate people. Honesty is not only the best policy, it’s likability insurance. People respect those who aren’t afraid to acknowledge their limitations.

-- Share your passions. Passion can be contagious. Friends and co-workers will respond to your goals if you express them sincerely and enthusiastically. You might discover that others have similar dreams.

-- Show a sense of humor. You don’t have to try to be a stand-up comedian, but be willing to laugh at yourself and your mistakes.

And if you need a little boost after you put all those strategies to the test, here’s one last idea that I’ve heard works wonders: Clean out the office refrigerator! You will immediately move up the likability scale!

Mackay’s Moral: Improve your likability, improve your life.

UCLA football coach Red Sanders once said, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”

Like most kids growing up, for me the importance of finishing first or winning was always stressed. As a competitive person, I thought that second place was the same as last. Losing was a source of shame and bitterness. No one wants to be defined as a loser. In short, everyone wants to win.

Brandon Steiner, the owner and founder of the huge sports memorabilia company that bears his name, gave me some good advice recently. He told me that losing isn’t the opposite of winning; it’s a part of winning.

The more I think about his statement, the more I agree. However, I would make one small change: Losing isn’t the opposite of winning; it CAN be part of winning. I clarify that because losing can also become a habit. But if you use losing as a learning experience, then you can be headed for success.

In the sports world, how many times do you hear championship teams discuss how a certain loss triggered their championship run? It served as a wake-up call, an opportunity to see where they could improve. Losing helped them change their mindset. It demonstrated that in many cases, you must learn how to win. And losing provides a powerful lesson.

My advice is to embrace all results. The most important outcome is what you learned from it. Few people win all the time, but you can be better prepared to play the game and compete if you have experienced losing and learned what it takes to win.

Your goal should be to improve in areas where you have weaknesses and seek challenges that will stretch you and help you grow. A good competitor will help you point out your mistakes and weaknesses, so pay attention.

For me, sales is a competitive sport. Whenever I win or lose an account, I want to know why. Debriefing is critical. I have no problem being straightforward and asking clients for feedback. I want to know how I can improve.

If you lose an account, ask for a separate meeting within the week. Tell your prospect you respect their decision and do not want to change their mind. You just want to learn and improve. At the meeting, never be antagonistic. You are there to listen and learn.

You wouldn’t believe how many times this process helped me -- not only with my own performance, but in regaining the business when the new supplier didn’t deliver as promised.

You always want to leave your prospect on good terms. Even if you never sell to that person, you’ve made a friend by respecting their decision.

You won’t get serious about winning until you get serious about learning. It’s such a simple lesson, and one I guarantee will serve you forever. Everyone makes mistakes in the course of his or her career, and no matter how much you learn, you’re not immune.

My good friend, leadership guru John Maxwell, cautions: “A loss doesn’t turn into a lesson unless we work hard to make it so. Losing gives us an opportunity to learn, but many people do not seize it. And when they don’t, losing really hurts.”

Maxwell knows that it’s difficult to positively respond after defeat. He said it takes discipline to do the right thing when everything goes wrong. To help people learn from losses, he wrote the book, “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn,” which provides the following road map:

Humility -- the spirit of learning.

Reality -- the foundation of learning.

Responsibility -- the first step of learning.

Improvement -- the focus of learning.

Hope -- the motivation of learning.

Teachability -- the pathway of learning.

Adversity -- the catalyst for learning.

Problems -- opportunities for learning.

Bad experiences -- the perspective for learning.

Change -- the price of learning.

Maturity -- the value of learning.

The important thing is that you learn from your losses. In the comic strip "Peanuts," Charlie Brown is walking off the baseball field with Lucy, his head down and totally dejected.

“Another ball game lost! Good grief!” Charlie says. “I get tired of losing. Everything I do, I lose!”

Lucy replies: “Look at it this way, Charlie Brown. We learn more from losing than we do from winning.”

To which Charlie replies, “That makes me the smartest person in the world!”

Mackay’s Moral: Your ability to learn from your losses is the biggest win of all.