Monday, March 25, 2019

Know When It Is Time To Leave

Over the course of my career, I have visited with people in a wide diversity of office spaces. Some of them have been the size of a match box and others have been so big you could play a basketball game inside it and still have room for a couple of bleachers.  Some have been opulent and others have been quite humble. What ever the style of the office space, the focus for me has always been the person.

A couple of decades ago, I sat down to visit with the COO of a very large company who had just announced his retirement. During our time together, we talked about the nexus of culture and strategy. We explored how key systems needed to be upgraded as the expectations of the customers changed. We even discussed how the structure of the company may be the problem for why the company was not growing at a robust clip.

Just before we wrapped up our time together, I asked him one more question, “How did you know it was time to retire?”

He reflected for a couple of moments and then replied, “I knew it was time for me to retire and for someone else to sit in this chair when I realized that the things outside the window of this office were starting to interest me more that what was happening inside this office. I knew then that I did not want to give my team and this company anything less than 100% effort. 

So, I talked with my wife and decided to retire. The people who I work with deserve my best every day. If I am giving less than this and am more interested in what is happening outside this office, be that grandchildren, travel, golf or just wanting to sit with a a good cup of coffee and read the paper in the morning, then I needed to move on.

We are a good organization. There are many qualified and well trained people who can do this job. I am not worried. We have done good things on my watch and we have made a difference. It is now time for someone else to step up and rise to the challenges before us.”

We shook hands and each of went on to our next meeting. And right then and there, I realized I had been given an important truth. I have carried it for many years. One day, it will be time for me to retire and to let others carry the torch moving forward.

This week, be mindful of your life journey. If it is time for you to move on, then do it with grace and clarity. There is a big world out there waiting to be explored.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

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