“The loss of a leader could mean a lot of things. The first assumptions that people make are the politically correct ones: They are seeking a change of scenery; They would like bigger growth opportunities; The are looking for a new challenge.”
Losing One of Your Best Sucks
As you wish your former employee/leader their best, there is a sinking feeling and a lot of questions. Did they prepare their replacement? Do we have to hire brand new? Are we prepared?
And…How much time will this take away from my job to prepare the next person to lead?
What Does This Loss Mean?
The loss of a leader could mean a lot of things. The first assumptions that people make are the politically correct ones: They are seeking a change of scenery; They would like bigger growth opportunities; The are looking for a new challenge.
Even if you do an exit interview, your best employee can politely tell you things they think you would like to hear.
Yet, there might be some other problems. As the CEO or Hiring/Exiting Manager, losing your top talent could indicate some other red flags.
© An even smaller heading.
“Did your top leader tell you things they needed that you could not give them? Did they ask for more money, more support, more trust? Was top leadership hindering their abilities to do their job at the highest level?”
Signs of Damage
The other serious problems that you might be facing could be signs of serious cultural damage.
Start by reflecting. Did your top leader tell you things they needed that you could not give them? Did they ask for more money, more support, more trust? Was top leadership hindering their abilities to do their job at the highest level? Was their creativity stifled?
After reflection, look at who is trying to replace your leader. Is someone stepping up to fill their shoes?
Something that sometimes happens is that another person within the organization tries to replace your leader, but they make unwelcome changes. These changes seem to be a reflection of their own dissatisfaction with the exiting employee.
Take time to observe how others react to the people who step in to replace your leader.
Promotion Within?
If you plan to promote within, does your organizational system have a procedure in place to prepare someone to lead people who were previously their peers? If not, you need to set up a training and mentoring program STAT.
Hiring from the Outside?
As you search for your candidates on the outside of your organization, what is your on-boarding process? Are there procedures in place for this new hire to get to know their team?
We have a great new leader agenda, which you can adapt for your company here.
What About Your Time?
This is where you might be too close to the situation.
You are the organizational leader and know your system better than anyone. AND you are a human with blindspots. You may spend so much time working on training your new hire that you begin to feel frustrated and annoyed with the entire team. That’s where a consultant can come in and relieve some of that stress.
A consultant’s job is to be the outside eyes who can see places where your organization and quickly improve. This saves you time and money in the long run.
It is possible for you to assess your organizational system and understand what led to your previous employee leaving. You can also take time to work through any cultural problems in your organization and find leverage points for change.
That takes a lot of time and energy, but it is possible.
On the other hand, you can get back to doing what you do best and call us to support your team quickly. We offer in-depth strategies for systems change.