In the last post, I discussed five of the more obvious signs of leaving behavior. But not all such signs are obvious. So here are five more that are more subtle. They may be less detectable, but they can still be good indicators of leaving behavior.
Begging off of organizational activities – In every organization, there are those who are the life of the party. They organize, clean up and are the inspiration for social events. When one of those people begins to demur from taking on this role, you might have someone who is thinking of leaving. Simple strategy for intervention? Discreetly mention to them how much you and others have appreciated their contributions with social occasions. While it would not be a good idea to ask why they have begun to withdraw, you may find that they disclose their reasons for doing so. One of these reasons might be that they are looking to make a transition.
Complaints about the facility, resources and environment – If you have a staff member who has made it her life’s work to comment on her surroundings, I would not worry about this. But when someone who’s always been very accommodating says those same things, this might be a sign of pending departure. Simple strategy for intervention? Check this behavior out. If the understanding people are beginning to complain, there are probably one or more issues that need to be addressed anyway. On the other hand, you may find that this new complainer may be trying to break the emotional ties to the organization by joining in with the complainers.
Sticking to a decreased or more rigid schedule – While some people have a tendency to punch the clock, others put in the extra time or accept offers of overtime more readily. When an individual like this starts turning down these opportunities, it could be a sign that he or she is making a transition. Simple strategy for intervention? Informally ask about this change in behavior. Nothing accusatory, just curiosity. There may be personal or family reasons. At the same time, those hours could be going into a job search.
Going to really boring places on vacation – Sure, sometimes we all take trips to mundane places to see the relatives. But if someone seems to be traveling to a place you would not normally associate with them, this might be something to note. Orlando? Probably a vacation. East Patterson, NJ? Hmmm . . . Simple strategy for intervention? Chat it up with them and see how they respond.
Going out to lunch without the gang – Sure, this could simply be an innocuous change of pace. On the other hand, it could be an indication that someone’s taking time to meet with employers or recruiters. Simple strategy for intervention? Again, chat it up a little or perhaps make light of it as in “Don’t you like us anymore?” There’s probably a reasonable explanation, but . . .
Now that I’ve covered the signs, it’s time to address some principles for intervention. That’s in the next post.