The final to-do list

It’s Wednesday morning and it's just dawned on me that I only have three working days left at my old job! My desk is tidied, personal items packed up, handover is complete and I’m starting to feel like the proverbial spare wheel. So what should I be trying to achieve in my final 72 hours and why?

  I guess it depends on if you ever want to come back. If you simply loathe your employer then go for gold – skive off, send those scathing emails you’ve only ever typed in your head and light the match that will burn that bridge for ever. But I do think I could come back to BNZ one day. It’s a great place to work and just about anyone here will tell you that. In fact, I’ve made the decision to come back before (and they made the decision to take me back) so I guess we’ve got a good thing going on. If that’s the case for you, don’t ruin it by wasting your notice period.

  First up on my very short to-do list? Lots of meetings with key stakeholders, assuring them that after I leave, my team will have it all in hand. And while we’re on that point, I’m also making sure my team will have it all in hand! I’ve spent hours over the last weeks talking to them about my major projects, who should take those on, where any potential issues are and what success ultimately looks like. I’m leaving my work in the hands of two very capable Communications Managers and an awesome team of comms professionals. No worries there.

  So what’s next? Well, there’s a bit of reflecting to do. Not just idly contemplating my navel, but really thinking hard about the last six years at BNZ, and in particular, admitting the things I could have done better. Because starting a new job is a gift – a fabulous chance to get it ALL right this time. I don’t know anyone who couldn’t do with some improvement (and I can think of a few who could do with a LOT). So I’m remembering the big ideas I let go of because I didn’t persevere, the relationships I should have tried a little harder at, and the opportunities I didn’t have time for. And I’m formulating a plan for tackling things differently at my new job. Stay tuned.

  And finally, there are one or ten coffee dates in my diary, and you might think that falls into the ‘skiving off’ category but I think it’s a genuinely valuable use of my time, for me and for the company. I’m thanking people for the time and effort they’ve put into helping me develop, and I’m securing their place in my network 'hall of fame'. These are the people I’ll be calling on in the first harrowing weeks of my new job. You know, when you realise that landing the job is one thing, but then you actually have to be as good as you said you were in the interviews? I’ll need these fabulous people to remind me that I’m actually pretty good at what I do and that, once I’ve settled in, I’ll be even better.

  So, only three working days to go at BNZ and I plan on making the most of them. I’ll help smooth the transition, take stock of my time here and hand out hugs to all the people who helped me along the way. And then I can start looking forward to joining the GREEN bank, that one that’s all about Kiwis helping Kiwis. I’m pretty sure it won't be long before I have a very long to-do list in my new job.  :-)