Yaicha

What do you think when good people leave your company? Of course, good people leave companies every day, and it’s well documented that career mobility is the norm now: my father’s lifetime career with one employer rarely happens anymore.

When one person leaves for sunnier shores, it’s something to applaud. “Good for you, and best of luck with your new opportunity!” That’s what I said to a direct report who took a new job recently, and I meant it. I’m struggling to replace her, but that’s the way the work world operates and I understand and support her advancing her career.

But, to use an overused term, where is the tipping point? When two people leave within a short period of time, do you assume it’s a coincidence? When three leave, perhaps it’s just a confluence of unrelated factors. So when do you start to question why you are still here when so many of the people you respect and admire have chosen to leave?

There’s no simple or universal answer, of course. But there’s no denying that large numbers of voluntary departures are a red flag that you’d better not ignore. The unflattering cliche about rats leaving a sinking ship comes to mind. A series of departures is a clear signal that it’s time to look up from day-to-day tasks and assess the sea-worthiness of your livelihood.

I’m an optimist. It keeps me going and it’s served me well throughout my life. But I also know optimism has blinded me to reality sometimes, when I wanted to see the best side of things and so ignored, to my peril, aspects that were not so good. So let’s say I am a skeptical optimist now. The glass is half-full, but I’m looking at it closely to make sure I know what’s in it.