“You are one of the greatest Professional I know”
“You are a smart developer”
“Your presence brought energy to the team”
“You are the most enthusiastic person I have ever seen”
“I wish you would not have left”
“We will miss you”
“Your loss is irrecoverable”
A room full of colleagues giving farewell to Sanjeev as today is his last day. He is feeling ecstatic with these words and expression of feelings. He feels that he spent his 7 long years at the right place. So many friends and admirers he got due to his association with this organisation. Now he feels sad that he is leaving this organisation and moving to a new one where salary is higher and role sounds challenging but team environment and culture is unknown.
Why did he resign at the first place?
Salary?.. Naahh
Role? .. He might have got eventually
His biggest reason for discontent was lack of appreciation for the work he does and lack of feeling that I am important here. Its not just manager but the team too did not pay attention when he did right things. Most of the passionate discussions were when he did something wrong not when he did something right. He felt this organisation is just using his skills and do not care whether he exists or not.
Lack of belongingness, lack of identity and lack of direction is the reason for this decision. It was not an easy one. It was hard and painful.
But today, at the last day at work the expression of feelings have wiped all those complains away. Now it does not feel like there is any reason to leave but there is no scope for changing mind at this point.
He moved ahead with taking the challenges and team soon recovered the loss due to Sanjeev but the beautiful relation that was built over 7 years could never be recovered.
When one employee leaves it creates dent in every member of the team. Unknown, invisible but significant. It is a dent in culture, engagement and overall spirit of the team.
But if it is all about the feeling that drove Sanjeev out of the organisation, couldn’t this have been fixed.
What if the feelings shared on the last day would have been shared much before?
What if team would have sensed the discontent and acted in a timely manner?
What if leaders would have been more sensitive about the feelings?
What if every day we would have treated our colleagues as if it’s their last day?
Do not know the right answer but I am sure Sanjeev’s story would have been different than what it is now.
– A confused Associate
Life as Sakti 