Fortunately… or unfortunately… I’ve worked at 7 or so different places thus far in my career journey. So, I have a handful of experiences when it comes to leaving teams and companies.
For the most part, I can remember in decent detail the situations in which I left. I can also recall the last day that I was on location for most of these places.
I can remember…
- the last day at the manufacturing company and walking out of the doors for the last time.
- some of my close team members walking me to my car on my last day for a company I worked for in Nashville.
- giving my previous lead a hug before leaving Seattle and flying back to Knoxville.
I’ve been blessed to have worked on many projects with many people so far in my career. I’m confident there are many ahead too.
There are two things that I tend to reflect on when thinking through my past roles:
- Did I leave well?
- Do I pay attention when others are leaving?
For “Did I leave well?” – there are times where I think I did leave well and there are others where I know I didn’t leave well.
There was one time where I quit without working a two week notice back in high school. There was another time where I was distracted with where I was too excited for my new position that I didn’t do much in the final couple of months before my transition.
On the other hand, there were a couple of times where I worked until my very last hour trying to transfer knowledge and context to the next person.
The ones that linger with me most are when I did not pay enough attention to my current position because I was distracted with “what’s next”.
If I were able to travel back in time, I’d tell myself to:
- Work until the minute
- Don’t be too focused on “what’s next”
- Work out a plan with my managers/team members on what they need from me
- Take the time for an extra lunch or two with people who mentored me and helped me grow
- Ask everyone again what they need from me before I step away
- Think through people who I really appreciated and make sure they know it.
Learning: Focus on today, what you have currently. Don’t let your “next” be a distraction to delivering well today. Show up, keep delivering, cherish the time with your colleagues.
For “Do I pay attention when others are leaving?”
When you leave high school, college, internships, jobs, etc. you start to notice how lonely it can be on that last day. I didn’t realize that I’d never see some people after High school graduation. On multiple occasions my literal last days left me wondering “why didn’t anyone say Goodbye?”.
It’s not like they didn’t say goodbye, we had lunches or dinners or game nights to celebrate time together and where one of us was heading… but it’s happened on more than one occasion where my last day had literally no “goodbyes”.
Maybe I’m the only one who thinks that’s an interesting observation.
Having had a few of those situations now, here’s what I’d tell you all:
- Be intentional when someone you’ve worked with is leaving.
- Acknowledge their achievements.
- Showcase appreciation for their work.
- Specifically tell them bye on their last day if possible.
Learning: Take a moment to acknowledge people when they leave. Tell them what they meant to you and/or your team. Be intentional.
Leave a Reply