A few months ago, someone I know decided to
leave one company and take a job at another company. Happens all the time.
On their final day of work, this person ran
into someone from upper management. And what happened next was one of those
juicy, teachable moments that would make for a perfect Harvard Business Review
blog post.
A bit of back story. The individual in
question worked for the same company for a few years. Not only that, they recently
participated in a couple of company-sponsored extra-curricular creative
projects on their own time. Not only did this bonus work demonstrate initiative,
but it served as evidence that the company was taking a new approach to problem
solving. (In fact, one of the creative projects this person developed was prominently
featured on the company’s website.)
So when this person ran into Someone Important
From Upper Management (SIFUM), they assumed that SIFUM would A) be aware they
were leaving the company and B) would have something pleasant to say to them
given their years at the company plus the aforementioned bonus work.
As it turns out, SIFUM acknowledged that it
was the person’s last day at the company only after being prompted. And then
silence. The SIFUM failed to wish the person well in their new role, or thank
them for their time and contributions to the company.
This made the person I know angry and
disillusioned. You can bet they will tell this story to many, many people. And
if someone asks her or him if they should work at SIFUM’s company, she or he
will tell the above story as way to illustrate the significant blind spots in the
company’s culture.
A quick compliment would have cost the SIFUM
nothing. Their silence, on the other hand, might turn out to be very expensive.
