When the boss is quitting the job

It says that an employee doesn’t leave a job; he leaves his boss.

But what is happening for an employee when his boss leaves the job?

Your boss accepted a new job probably because of the same reasons you would accept a new job. It can be a more challenging project, a better work environment or a greater work-life balance. You can’t blame him as well if it is a better location or if there are other significant benefits.

But what you can do is to take care more of yourself and of your next moves will be.

Here are some steps:

• Keep a good relationship: wish him/her well, express your empathy and propose to keep in touch with him. The world is too small and you never know when you will interact again with him.
• Give him/her feedback – it is like an exit interview but from the other side. If he is mature or smart enough, he will know how to take the best from your feedback and to improve some things on him.
• Decide if you can or if you want to take more responsibilities. It can be a step up on your job and there can be some development opportunities for you. It’s your job in this game and it’s your decision.
• Analyse the situation: what was wrong until this moment and what went well. Changes are good. You have to be aware of what kind of behaviours have to change and what others can continue in the same manner. Do some investigations to know what made this change for him/her. Try to use this information to make yourself a safer and a better workplace.
• Business as usual: it is not easy, but your work has to continue in the same manner. It is his/her decision, but you have to continue and prepare for your next activities.
• Be aware that it will be people who recognize your boss merits, or people who will blame him/her. You have to be fair and to know how he was and in what way he had an impact on you.
• Prepare for your next boss. If he/she will be as good as previous was (or if he won’t be) you don’t know from the very beginning. Be prepared to learn everything you can from him/her. After this, you can take a decision if you want to continue to collaborate with him or not. In the end, he will be ”the new guy” and you already have more information that he has about the team.

We are not anymore the generation who takes a job for a lifetime (millennials spend in average 2.7 years in a company), so these kind of changes are normal for each of us.

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