The Importance of a Good Exit Strategy

Recently, I traveled to Dammam for one of my team members who had decided to leave the group. It was his final week, and I wanted to ensure we gave him a proper farewell while also discussing his exit. It was bittersweet, as I believe we could have retained him under different circumstances, but some things are simply beyond our control.

We invest heavily in creating a smooth onboarding process, ensuring that our employees have the necessary learning and development opportunities throughout their journey with us. But how can we ensure that we provide a similarly positive experience when people leave, whether voluntarily or involuntarily?

I reflected on this a lot when he decided to leave, primarily due to restructuring and, as he mentioned, differences in management style. He resigned with a three-month notice period, and throughout that time, he remained highly professional, especially when it came to the handover and the practical aspects of his exit. For me, it’s critical that we maintain positive relationships with our people even when they leave the team.

One of his remarks that really stuck with me was: "I didn’t want to quit silently. That’s not who I am—it wouldn’t be authentic to my employees, the company, or myself." I admire that. Leaving an organization after many years can cause anxiety, especially when you’re far from home in a different country.

But how do we identify "silent quitting"? It’s when an employee has essentially resigned from the psychological contract—they disconnect from the alignment between what they expect from the workplace and what the organization demands.

We conduct exit interviews, but are we truly using that data to refine our management and engagement practices? I often compare it to our Net Promoter Approach (NPA) for customers: 9/10 are your promoters, and anything below 6 are detractors—the ones you want to avoid. Just as customers can be promoters or detractors based on their experiences, employees can also play similar roles, particularly when leaving the company.?

So, what can we do more proactively? One key area is conducting stay interviews. These are more forward-thinking and focused on addressing issues while the employee is still part of the organization. In a matrix organization, it's also crucial to avoid parallel discussions that could muddy the waters.

This excerpt is taken from my new book,?Belonging, which will launch soon! Stay tuned for more updates and insights.?(Chapter of Strategic and Leveraging on Your Network)