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It's a sad fact that the only thing we know with certainty in life is that one day we will die. Despite this certainty, a lot of people will be affected by the loss, the only question being, by how much and in what way?
It's a sad fact that the only thing we know with certainty in life is that one day we will die. Despite this certainty, a lot of people will be affected by the loss, the only question being, by how much and in what way?
Will our passing give cause for celebration, a time to remember the wonderful times together, or will our passing be the beginning of the end for someone else who can't focus on anything but our being gone.
One of the unfortunate things about being in the Fire Service is that you get to be there at the point someone passes, you observe a family's anguish and fear, but you don't get to see the resolution of this over time. It's there and then it's over.
One surreal experience I had was going to a call where we were couldn't revive a lady using CPR, then rushing home and 30 minutes later being at a comedy movie with my kids. I wasn't really in the mood at the beginning, but I had promised the kids we would go, and we had lots of fun despite, I guess, the extreme anguish of the husband I had just left... For the rest of the world "Life Goes On".
I don't say this to be insensitive. Of course I feel deeply for the people in these situations, and in my own family we've had more than our fair share of pain. It is however a basic reality and there's a similar situation in business.
When you're running a business it's hard when a key staff member decides to leave. It's not the same as someone dying but many of the emotions are similar. Fear of the future, sadness at not continuing the journey with them, not knowing how to do what that person did, a deep feeling of loss.
The question is not will people leave a business, but when.
There are at least 3 things required to deal with this ...
#1 A contingency plan: what will I do if that person does leave?
#2 Make sure all your eggs aren't in one basket. That is, make sure that in all teams more than one person knows how to do each job.
#3 An acceptance of the fact that this is a natural part of the cycle of life. Treat it as an opportunity for change and review how things might be even be better. Celebrate their having been here and the exciting challenges they move on to.
I'm never happy to see someone leave our companies. It causes disruption and I'm kind of selfish. I'd like them to want to stay and I miss them when they're gone. It is however a sign that I'm employing people who care about themselves and are looking for a life full of challenges and experiences, just like me.
I'd love to hear how you deal with people leaving your business, or dealing with loss generally. How about letting me know in the comment section below.
It's a sad fact that the only thing we know with certainty in life is that one day we will die. Despite this certainty, a lot of people will be affected by the loss, the only question being, by how much and in what way?
Will our passing give cause for celebration, a time to remember the wonderful times together, or will our passing be the beginning of the end for someone else who can't focus on anything but our being gone.
One of the unfortunate things about being in the Fire Service is that you get to be there at the point someone passes, you observe a family's anguish and fear, but you don't get to see the resolution of this over time. It's there and then it's over.
One surreal experience I had was going to a call where we were couldn't revive a lady using CPR, then rushing home and 30 minutes later being at a comedy movie with my kids. I wasn't really in the mood at the beginning, but I had promised the kids we would go, and we had lots of fun despite, I guess, the extreme anguish of the husband I had just left... For the rest of the world "Life Goes On".
I don't say this to be insensitive. Of course I feel deeply for the people in these situations, and in my own family we've had more than our fair share of pain. It is however a basic reality and there's a similar situation in business.
When you're running a business it's hard when a key staff member decides to leave. It's not the same as someone dying but many of the emotions are similar. Fear of the future, sadness at not continuing the journey with them, not knowing how to do what that person did, a deep feeling of loss.
The question is not will people leave a business, but when.
There are at least 3 things required to deal with this ...
#1 A contingency plan: what will I do if that person does leave?
#2 Make sure all your eggs aren't in one basket. That is, make sure that in all teams more than one person knows how to do each job.
#3 An acceptance of the fact that this is a natural part of the cycle of life. Treat it as an opportunity for change and review how things might be even be better. Celebrate their having been here and the exciting challenges they move on to.
I'm never happy to see someone leave our companies. It causes disruption and I'm kind of selfish. I'd like them to want to stay and I miss them when they're gone. It is however a sign that I'm employing people who care about themselves and are looking for a life full of challenges and experiences, just like me.
I'd love to hear how you deal with people leaving your business, or dealing with loss generally. How about letting me know in the comment section below.