When people leave
EMPLOYEES come and go. It is one of the fundamental realities of working life.
When people leave, it is a common occurrence in the world of work. This reality applies to both larger and smaller organisations, each with its own set of challenges when an employee departs. For larger businesses, the loss of a key employee can often be absorbed by a larger team, with responsibilities being redistributed and temporary cover arranged.
In contrast, smaller organisations often struggle to cope with the immediate increase in workloads and potential decrease in productivity when a key employee resigns. This can lead to frustration, particularly when the departing employee was someone in whom the organisation had invested considerable time and resources. However, it is important for business owners to distinguish between disappointment and entitlement.
While they may have valued, trusted, and invested in the departing employee, the organisation does not have an inherent right to their future. Instead, the focus should be on building a resilient organisation that can withstand the departure of any individual. This requires a shift in thinking, moving away from the question of how to prevent people from leaving, to how to build an organisation that can thrive despite departures.
This involves developing systems, processes, and knowledge that remain within the organisation even when people leave. Documentation, cross-training, and avoiding over-reliance on specific individuals or personalities are all essential strategies for creating a more resilient organisation.
Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
