I was talking to a friend last week about leaving a job and worrying about those we’ve left behind. You’re a manager, a director or anyone who is no longer passionate about the place where you find yourself. Maybe you’ve been there for years, maybe just months.

You’ve got a plan; you seek out a new position elsewhere and you’re successful at your endeavor. But you have a work pal or pals, a work wife or husband, or a whole group of people you really like. You spend after hours socializing with them, and now where do they fit in? What do you do?

Do you just walk away, or do you try to maintain those friendships?

What about when you have clients who suddenly leave, or you’re the manager or company owner and one of your favorites gets a better position? How we handle ourselves matters. Lord knows, I have not always been eloquent. 😳

Sometimes you feel hurt if someone leaves, as if they were leaving you behind. That’s completely understandable. 

I can honestly say I’ve maintained just a handful of friends from previous jobs, and they are lifers. You’ve got to seek out who adds value to your life, right? So, the person you want to stay in touch with, you try, and if they don’t reciprocate, that’s really hard.

In business, when you lose someone, whether that be a client or employee, it feels best to have closure, no? I am sure that for the amount of time I’ve been in business, my company has created value for our clients. And sometimes it feels like there’s no care in an exit, they bail from a contract (I don’t chase, there’s no point), they don’t pay (I do chase, that’s unfair), honestly there may be a whole host of issues that have arisen.

Parting thought: it can feel a lot like dating apps, when someone just, poof! disappears, with no explanation. 🗑️