I wish I could tell you that we at ECI have the answers to every organizational issue you can raise, but this is simply not the truth. From time to time, we have to let people go and we have people we wish would have stayed, move on to other jobs. In each instance, we always wish our former team mates well, and try to assess what we could have done differently to maximize the individual’s potentials.
As one of our writers pointed out a few posts ago, the reason most people start looking for a new position is that they are feeling as if they don’t “fit” within the roles to which they are assigned. The easy “misfits” to recognize are the people who can’t seem to understand what the assignment is, or they can’t get things done, or who dive too deeply into the complex details of their work, thereby missing the “forest for the trees” at the end of the day. Sometimes, this is a matter of coaching and teaching to build the confidence needed to get the job done. Other times, this is a matter of egos, and something you probably won’t be able to resolve.
The more difficult ones to recognize are the people whose work is so superior that you believe everything is steller. You know the person might be a bit stressed, but since they do so well with your customers and rarely need support, you keep telling yourself that things are fine. You listen to your clients telling you what a good job this person is doing and figure that, because of this, the person is fully gratified in the role.
You find yourself particularly shocked when these individuals tell you they have found another job and will be leaving soon. After the fact, you go back and you look at the results of the good performer’s ECI Behavioral Insight and start questioning yourself because you knew this all along. The results tell you that this person likes a stable environment, where an orderly approach is in play. They prefer knowing the rules and having everyone abide by these within the team. They take pride in devising a process, then using the process in new projects, since it worked so well the last time. They don’t like having to invent thinking for every project that comes along. Because of the high standards they set for themselves, their chances of feeling fulfilled in such an upredictable environment as exists at ECI for the long term term are probably somewhat limited.
In these cases, you just have to be thankful for having the person with you for a time and hope that the experience provided good learning and growth. And of course, you always keep in touch with them to follow their progress into new places.
Filed under: New Perspectives | Tagged: Organizational Fit, regrettable losses, turnover
