Farewells & Leaving Employees.. Reflections on my last message back in 2010
Today I had a flirt in my night dreaming about the last farewell message I wrote, back in February 2010, when I was leaving Orange Business Services of France Telecom Group, and I fetched it, to find some words that are reminder to self, as I am growing both personally and professionally in my leadership in both my current job, and in my career as a leadership coach.
When employees leave organizations, it is a very emotional time for them, for their colleagues, and for their families.
Leaving a company is a transitional ending for a relationship, that may happen to create new opportunities to bond with others, connect with other companies, or create new ventures, or business opportunities, that may have been seen not viable when one was in the same organization, and in this job. It also may be a detour to a different road, or a leverage and step forward in one's own life and career. Sometimes, it is a termination to a harmful unhealthy relationship with a leader, a culture, or even a country for those who immigrate and look for a different life or seek refuge outside their own country, leaving behind jobs, companies, families, neighbors and even memories.
The lessons still stand, and there are additional messages and notes I take to oneself.
Attending currently one exit interview after the other, I have a stronger belief that the evolution of employee maturity and learnability is a responsibility of the culture of the leadership, and it is about the leadership culture, that engages, and keeps the motivation of high performers in the organization. As well keeping a safe space and a culture of candor that keeps everyone informed of what to do, and how to behave in a way that keeps the organization growing and acknowledges the role of this growth in the organization.
I am sharing this farewell letter, that reached more than 400+ colleagues in my organization that I had very personal encounters and experiences with, during 6 years of professional and personal growth in Orange.
Looking back at my mindset at this time, and the 12 years journey, rejoining a full time job, makes me contemplate on - what is the flirt I am receiving by this message is trying to let me learn / know?
It has been 6 years now, and I have been here more than I have been with my family, wife and kids..
I shared with you all different things, whether it was a business relationship, a social relationship, whether we were neighbors in the company, or in the same district, whether we met to serve the same customer or region, or if we met in a company gathering or workshop, or if we fought each other over the emails, then became friends in the end.. I want to tell you all .. it was an amazing experience.
These 6 years were so special because it forms for me the mid career portion of my career life, I well understood through interacting with you all many facts in life, and in myself, some of you were subject to my life experiments, may be I failed you, may be I turned you down, may be I was not good enough to meet your expectations, but what I want from you as I go, to please forgive me, if I personally harmed you in any means, cause by the time I am sending this email, I carry no hard feelings to anyone in the subject email .. nor in Orange Business Services, and would like the best to you all to happen, and see you all florishing and successful in the near and far future.. We will be surely meeting again.
I wanted to stress on a personal reflection, and the main lesson I learned, that management and leadership is so critical to the success of any organization, and we all feel the climate change from one team to another team, from one leader to another leader, given the same people, resources and constraints in hand.. Leadership can change the climate whether they intended to, or did not intend to, and good leaders are able to adjust the correct climate that gets out the best out of their people, satisfies the customers, and achieve the company targets.
The second reflection is about something people are doing, in a wrong understanding of "just do it" which sometimes is interpreted in the Egyptian Proverb "Tie the rope of the donkey where its owner is comfortable" - "orbot el 7omar matra7 ma yerta7 sa7bo", I personally believe that you are - as the owner of Orange Business Services - a co-owner, and if you have a different view, you have to properly raise your concern, open a discussion, and don't stop unless you get a proper feedback. From Personal experience, I saw it worked in many many times, and it reflected well on the area of responsibility I am managing, we all have to challenge the norms, and do things differently to gain success.. Else you may find the rope tied on your neck in the end !
A little personal advice to my friends, colleagues, coaches and leaders: Keep on going, creating, and innovating new things, embrace the values, and dos, believe that your behaviors will reflect the company standards, internally and externally, and when you walk the talk, every body will be happy coming to the office in the morning.
Thank you all, and I definitely learned a lot of things from each interaction we had.. and I am positive about it.. and wish roads cross again soon.