one night only instead of a farewell tour

A teammate’s departure is a stakes-y cultural moment. It’s a bundle of opportunities for a leader. For better and for worse, the departure magnetizes the attention of the team.

Strong leaders make deliberate choices in these moments about what they put in front of all those eyes - what they put on stage. They choose with the knowledge that “attention from the leader” and “praise from the leader” might be the two most precious currencies in the organization. People will often optimize for the things that they’ve seen earn these currencies, even despite themselves.

When a strong performer is stepping away you want people to see that the path to leader approval is a pile of values-aligned, team-oriented action. However, a proper send-off for someone who has offered a pile of such contributions can become an extended farewell tour. The team can draw the conclusion that the path to leader attention and praise is not the pile of contributions - it’s quitting (or taking another job or whatever else prompts the departure). Remaining teammates who are hustling to make their own pile of contributions can reasonably feel ignored, hurt, or undervalued.

One solution to this is a recommendation we make a lot around here. It’s one you can start doing today, before you have any knowledge of a forthcoming departure. Increase the frequency and specificity of your recognition of good moves on your team. This way, the praise and celebration you’re offering at the farewell moment feels like a special version of a thing you already do. It’s no less special for the departing teammate but it’s significantly more coherent for everyone else.

-Eric