A Character Revealing Situation

A friend of mine is starting a new job.

She is leaving a company that has supported her and has provided her with  opportunities to learn and make a difference. But when she looks to her future, to the things she'd like to do and experiences she'd like to have, the current company is not quite the right fit. 

So after asking the obvious questions - where is it, what will you be doing, who will you be working for, are you excited, etc, I asked the one question that always intrigues me the most, "so, what did your boss say? 

Stop for a moment and think about this.

You are preparing to meet with your boss tomorrow to tell him that you are resigning because you have a wonderful opportunity to learn something new, to move into an area you've always been interested in, to gain workplace flexibility, to go back to school, or to [fill in the blank].

How would your boss respond? 

Would he respond with defensiveness, anger, or ego? With a case of "too little, too late" as described so well over at the HR Ringleader's Blog? Or would he be spot on? My friend's boss was spot on. She was "really supportive. She said she knew I had more to offer and wished they were in a place to counter."

Stop for a moment and think about this.

You are meeting with a member of your staff and she tells you that she is resigning because she has a wonderful opportunity to learn something new, to move into an area she's always  been interested in, to gain workplace flexibility, to go back to school, or to [fill in the blank].

How would you respond?

Photo credit istockphoto

Comments

[Travis Sampson]

I was in your friends position a few years back. I was hired and trained by a company even though I got no experience and my only qualification is my motivation and enthusiasm to learn. Same thing happened to me: I learned a lot of stuff, I was given responsibilities, then felt it was time to move on, to pursue new opportunities etc..

But the experience didn't turned out nice: That's when I saw how possessive my former boss was. But to his defense, the situation was really unexpected and I understand the implications of losing a key team player. (we're in good terms now)

What I got from that incident was that it's in our nature to seek out what's best for us. Jobs aren't just a source of utility for businesses but it should also be a source of fulfillment for a person. I always try to keep that in mind when I deal with two-week notices.