Knowing when it's time to go

Do you ever look around your workplace, or into another, and wonder why certain characters are hanging in, or on? I’m not referring to the matter of financial survival, which is enough motive for many, but those who genuinely appear to believe that the organisation desperately wants – no, needs – them to stay.

For many it’s about ego; for a lot it’s about social connectivity; for most it’s a real lack of awareness that the time is well past to move on. Left to their own devices they will long pass the retirement threshold. 

We’ve talked about having difficult conversations and this is a good example where organisational intervention could help. I’m not suggesting forcing churn against an employee’s natural and legal rights; I am suggesting the right of an individual to be guided, supported and encouraged to develop and grow to the point where their tenure is never questioned because their contribution is rated.

Given all opportunity, and still the question of contribution remains on the minds of co-workers, the difficult question must then be had.

Really valuable staff are constantly rating their contribution and have no issue pulling the pin when they believe they have reached their maximum output and exhausted their value level.

Our job is to make sure that we keep extending the horizon for them, along with providing the skills to deliver.