Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

Marc Andreessen explains in a nutshell how to retain great people, and perhaps why you company can't:

Companies that are winning -- even really big, old ones -- never have a retention problem. Everyone wants to stay, and when someone does leave, it's really easy to get someone great to take her place.

Companies that have a retention problem usually have a winning problem. Or rather, a "not winning" problem.

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All the raises, perks, and HR-sponsored "company values" drafting sessions in the world won't help you retain great people if you're not winning -- not even the $6,000 heated Japanese toilets in all the restrooms, the $30,000 Olympic lap pool out back, and the free $4 bottles of organic orange juice in all the snack rooms.

He also addresses my absolute favorite company solution to the "not winning" problem - creating a group focused on innovation:

Don't create a new group or organization within your company whose job is "innovation". This takes various forms, but it happens reasonably often when a big company gets into product trouble, and it's hugely damaging.

Here's why:

First, you send the terrible message to the rest of the organization that they're not supposed to innovate.

Second, you send the terrible message to the rest of the organization that you think they're the B team.

That's a one-two punch that will seriously screw things up.

And then of course there are the companies who aren't winningand really don't care about retaining staff, because it's the staff's fault they aren't winning, right? Those are the companies you should run from, as fast as you can.