Why Did He Resign?

The last person you expected to leave your organization just handed you a resignation letter.  Why?  What did you miss that could have prevented this?  What are ALL the reasons they are leaving?

While it is easy to accept whatever reason was given to you, like the ever present “promotional opportunity”, you must ask yourself is that it?  It could easily be the reason that this person finally said yes to an offer, but what has led up to the perfect environment that even opened up their mind to leaving in the first place?

Could it be:

• Your management style leaves a lot to be desired and only desperate people will ever work for you?
• You and others have been dumping more and more responsibilities on this person without any more compensation or even a change in title?
• The work environment is all work and no room for a private life?
• There is no room for advancement and the company doesn’t provide professional development?
• The company has become stagnate and change is a dirty word?

My thought is that when someone resigns, there is usually more than one thing that makes them want to move.  Let’s face it, the new job is not perfect, but it obviously has more than what was available before.

It may be too late to change things to keep this employee, but it is the perfect time to stop future resignations.  Before this employee has the opportunity to recruit others from your company, it is important you discover and fix what is wrong.  Even if that discovery is what you see in the mirror.