Why I Still Care About People Who Leave for Greener Pastures

People switch jobs--it’s simply a fact of the modern corporate environment. Yet rarely are the departures celebrated—they’re traitors if they go to a competitor—and just as rarely do managers keep in touch with former employees or former employees keep up with a place where they spent a significant portion of their lives.

But why does it have to be this way? We don’t automatically cut the cord with our friends once we move from college to the business world. So why can’t moving jobs be like that transition?

Three recent stories close to me—one very public, the other two private—come to mind as examples where this mold was broken for the better.

Scott Frost: Loyal in Departure

First is Scott Frost, who last year as the head football coach at the University of Central Florida (full disclosure: my alma mater) led his team to an unbeaten season, a win in the Peach Bowl, and one of most talked-about stories in college football. He also parlayed that success into a dream job—the head coaching job at the University of Nebraska, his alma mater and one of football’s most storied programs. But with UCF set to play the biggest game in program history against Auburn, Frost did something that’s almost unheard-of in modern college football—instead of handing over the reins to a new and unfamiliar coaching staff, he did double-duty, staying with UCF to prepare for the big game at the same time he began his campaign at Nebraska. The rest is history: UCF beat Auburn and claimed its unbeaten season.

Why does this story stand out? For one, Scott not only helped his old team but also built a strong brand for himself and his new program. Who would not want to play or work for someone who really cares? As one of my mentors once told me, “Don’t go by what people say, go by what they do,” and Scott clearly did that. When he said his team was his family and you don’t abandon your family, he showed that he meant it—even as he moved to his dream job. To me, this story was not about football and players, but rather about how to nurture, grow, and retain talent. Corporations are similarly not lifeless legal entities—they are made of people, people who nurture and people who need nurturing.

Out the Door, but Still Making an Impact

The second story is about a manager at my firm, whom I had seen grow and mature as a leader. He had just had a baby and was struggling with the travel for work, and decided he needed to move on into a role with less travel. I hated to see him leave—he was a valued part of my core team and I relied on him a lot. When all my convincing him to stay did not work, I told him I would fully support his smooth transition—why try to force people to stay in position where they’re unhappy? They’re going to leave anyway.

A week later the manager told me that he understood the challenges I would face once he left, and that he was choosing to delay his departure by two to three weeks to help me identify his replacement and train other people on the team to retain his knowledge. The extra time was huge—he followed through on his commitments and helped identify his replacement, who ended up as a superstar. And he still got to follow his heart to a new position.

Working Hard Until the Final Day

The final story is about a principal at my firm, one of the most organized people I ever have known. He just knew how to get stuff done. We had a great run, working on some great stuff and helping set up a new and successful service line. Just as it was taking off, he decided to move on. I was in pain—I had all sorts of grand plans with him as the quarterback of my team. When he broke the news to me, he told me he would stay a month to help me take things over the line—something for which I remain very thankful. What left a lasting impression was how he travelled on his second-to-last day, even though he absolutely was not required to, to make sure a workshop we had planned for a week later would go off without a hitch. He was leaving but his responsibility and commitment to his old team compelled him. The workshop was huge success.

How to Rejoice a Departed Colleague

So if I’m thankful to Scott Frost, and thankful to my two former colleagues, how can we not rejoice more in the future success of other former colleagues, even when they leave our companies or favorite teams?

Thinking back to Scott and my two colleagues, and why they did what they did, I think it’s important to remember a few things:

1)    It doesn’t have to be a bad breakup. Scott Frost, the manager, the principal—these were people with high integrity, and a sense of responsibility that still matters, even though they aren’t with their companies any more. And they demonstrated it with their actions after they announced they were leaving, letting them leave on a happy note and with a sense of accomplishment.

2)    You should cherish your employees—even the ones who leave. When you cherish your people, give them responsibility and ownership, and invest in their growth and success, they will give back with their best performances. Get rid of the old idea of “don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” and remember to cherish your former employees for what they did and rejoice in their career success.

3)    The employer should be proud too. The respect these departing people showed is a return on the investment their leaders had put into them. Because they never felt like they were treated as mere “resources,” because they were welcomed and thanked and valued for what they brought to the table, they felt a sense of common ownership that did not fade even as they made career decisions to leave.