You Know It's Time to Go When...

We've all seen them.

Maybe at one time or another we've been them.

You know, that guy or gal who has been at the company too long, and really does more harm than good these days. How do you recognize this phenomenon in yourself, or others? In my experience, it sneaks up on you with little or no warning. One day you are not only drinking the organizational Kool-Aid, but guzzling it and happily sharing with others, but the next day you find that you are not that thirsty.

Then, over the next few weeks and months you don’t even think about drinking it anymore. You unconsciously start looking for something new to drink, or loudly bemoan the fact that the taste of the organizational Kool-Aid just isn't the same as it used to be. And yet, you consciously try your hardest to make it taste the same, regardless of whether or not your co-workers agree with you.

I have worked in the nonprofit community for almost 30 years now, and in that time I have known – and at one time was – one of those people who truly needed to find something else to do professionally in order for the organization to thrive. Here are three examples of behavior that literally scream it’s time to go:

Living in the Land of UsedToBe
Believe it or not, the Land of UseToBe has an enormous population, and that’s not good for any business, for- or nonprofit. These people are not only unhappy with changes in the organization, but are absolutely livid about them. They will do whatever they can to show the leadership team that this new idea, structure, policies, or whatever they don’t like coming down will not work; even if it means sabotaging customer service and quality.

I have seen this behavior several times over my career, and each time I have been amazed at how once-fantastic leaders have clearly lost the vision of the mission for which they once had a passion. Their focus is no longer on ensuring the organization provides quality products or services to those they serve, but on preserving their perceived fiefdoms.

Once your focus is no longer on the mission of the organization, but on fighting changes to preserve how you think the organization should operate and how these changes make your work life miserable, it’s time for you to go.

The Work No Longer Excites You
A friend of mine once told me that she knew it was time for her to find a different job when one of her subordinates brought her a fabulous idea that could be a solid stepping stone to help move the organization to the next level. However, my friend did not see the idea in that light until someone else pointed it out to her. She could not see the proverbial forest for the trees because she had lost her excitement for that particular job.

Luckily for her and the organization, my friend was able to see her predicament as soon as it was pointed out to her; many cannot or will not ever see the writing on the wall. If you find yourself continually saying, “No, that won’t work,” or “No, that would be more useful in the XYZ field,” or even worse, “No, that is the worst idea I have heard in years,” then it’s time for you to go.

Major Personality Conflict Escalates
Most people can get along and work with most people. However, at one time or another, everyone has that one person in their work life with which they have a personality conflict. Generally, if you have a personality conflict with a co-worker, you do your best to work with them when you have to and find ways get along that does not escalate the friction.

Once that conflict reaches the point where interaction, or lack of interaction, adversely affects your co-workers and the every-day functioning of the organization, it’s time for you to go. After all, they probably live in the Land of UsedToBe.

Share Your Ideas on Knowing When to Go
There are many other ways to recognize when it’s time for you to go, and I would love to see a discussion on the topic. So, please, share your clues that it’s time for you to go!

Photo Credits: Bing Images

Before founding her own consulting firm in 2013, Dawn Gannon served as a respected project management and administrative operations professional in the military, higher education, and women’s healthcare fields for 25 years. She holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Management from American Public University, is a contributor on LinkedIn, and the author of the Management in Motion blog.

Dawn currently serves as the Past Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Women’s Council, and volunteers with the American Red Cross. As an infertility survivor she has been a featured speaker within the Fertility Community, and written numerous articles on the topic of childfree living.

I Called Customer Service Today and ...

 Ok, I’ll admit it. I bought one of those things they sell on TV and online that promises to make a visible difference in 30 days.

The videos from famous people who supposedly have knowledge about the product and who have agreed to allow the company to post a testimonial clinched it for me. Surely, THAT guy wouldn't allow his name to be associated with a scam. 

Yeah, sure; that’s why it’s called a scam.

So, I called the customer service line today to cancel my subscription and any future orders, figuring I could have this over and done with in just a couple of minutes. Now I am sorry to say that I've been wrong twice about this company. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, well…you know.

When the customer service representative answered the phone, she did so with a nice, pleasant tone of voice, and she initially tried to help figure out why I wasn't satisfied with their “awesome product” (yes, her exact words). 

Was I using the product incorrectly, do I require additional instructions, could I please read the instructions back to her so I could confirm a second time that I’m not an idiot?

Once she realized that I really wanted to discontinue any association with her company, her welcoming tone and pleasantness went the way of the Dodo Bird in a matter of seconds.

After I finished the longer than expected, and quite irritating conversation with the company’s second-tier customer service department manager, I thought about how we as business leaders and managers handle rejection of our own products, services, and attempts to build and nurture prospect relationships.

Better yet, how does our front-line staff deal with these types of situations every day?

Common sense and an impressive amount of research indicate that a happy customer is a repeat customer. Moreover, a happy repeat customer is a loyal customer who is willing to act as an evangelist for you by sharing their happiness with your product or services with others. 

The question is: how do you keep your customers happy?

There are many different ideas and models for focusing on the Voice of the Consumer, Customer Relations Management, and so on.

Our goal at Dawn Gannon Consulting is to simply provide a quality product designed specifically for each client, offered at the lowest-possible price, and followed up with a genuine dedication to quality customer service designed to ensure each one recognizes the value we place on their satisfaction.

I'm sure that sounds very similar to yours. However, customer satisfaction isn't just about making the situation right when what is delivered is not what the customer expected.

It is also about building a strong, positive relationship with the customer by communicating occasionally through various channels, and providing them with ample opportunities to provide feedback. Active listening and communication is how you identify opportunities to innovate, and meet the future needs of your customers before they even know they have them.

However, this blog is about great customer service, and while I could provide several ideas about how to build a great customer relationship, I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Please take a moment to share what has worked for you, what hasn’t, and why.

Thanks for sharing!

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the nonprofit military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is also a published author on the topic of childfree living.