This is probably a controversial stance but I’m not afraid to toe that line. I think that when you lose a team member it can be a GOOD thing.
I was recently on vacation in beautiful Costa Rica and one of the restaurants had a tip jar with the following phrase…
DON’T LIKE CHANGE, LEAVE IT WITH US
I chuckled at the genius play on words. But it’s SO TRUE in life. People don’t like change, even if it’s for the better.
Okay, let me make my case.
I know the negative side effects…
- Clients don’t like change and they might cancel
- You have to get into recruitment mode
- The owner or team might have to cover for that person
I’m not ignoring the added stress that takes place when your team turns over.
But as an optimist, I see the opportunities too..
- Find an upgraded version of the last person
- Improve onboarding experience for new hires
- Opportunity to change compensation structure
- Ability to test new ideas
It’s only a failure if you look at it that way. Look at it as a learning lesson and it’s an opportunity to grow.
What went wrong with the last team member?
- Did they not have a growth opportunity?
- Was it not a fit based on their core values?
- Was communication off and on?
There’s so many ways to see how you can do better and UPGRADE your team every time there’s a turn over.
Let me know if this framework helps you to think differently about team turn over