What happens to an organization when good employees leave? The loss of a top contributor can hurt your productivity and profitability.
A little preparation can help create a smooth transition to that person’s replacement. This can be the case, even when the departing employee is considered irreplaceable.
This brings me to an update to my popular story of Janet the Janitor. Janet is profiled in a chapter of my book, Stuck on Yellow.
Readers learned how Janet approached her job as janitor, at a prestigious law firm, in a different way than her predecessors. Those people, who were a revolving door of employees, were just interested in cleaning up the day’s mess.
When Janet cleaned, most of her attention was on making sure things never got dirty. She anticipated needs and addressed emerging problems. Sometimes this meant staring at a glass door, looking for smudges.
Over time, Janet’s commitment to cleanliness rubbed off on the firm. Busy partners and associates joked about not wanting to upset Janet with messy habits.
One low paid employee changed the culture of an organization and improved the first impression of the firm. It was spotless.
I was sad to hear that Janet the Janitor left the firm. She enjoyed her job but a family issue required her to move to another state.
Janet treated her departure much like she did her job. It was organized. This is a great lesson for when good employees leave.
For a week, Janet wrote down everything she did, breaking it down by specific tasks and time of day. It’s second nature for her but she realized her replacement might not know what to do and could also be intimidated by the busy office.
Lists were created about the products she used on the janitor’s cart and where they could be bought. Janet also noted when messy times could occur at the firm and if any of the attorneys had special requests.
All of this preparation created a path to success for Janet’s replacement. Management reports the new janitor is performing well.
Janet raised expectations for her position and made sure they would be maintained. She took pride in the office and wanted it to have a clean future.
When good employees leave, their departure should be about more than just a firm handshake and a piece of cake. Make sure they take an active role in the success of their replacement.
Sometimes this involves offering a departure bonus for performing this extra work or a donation to the employee’s favorite charity. It’s a smart investment if you value maintaining excellence.
Too often, someone who is outside of the position has to guess about the job’s responsibilities, which often leads to a drop off in quality.
Whatever the position, find your Janet the Janitor. Then make sure you can survive that person’s departure, even if he or she is a superstar.
Maybe it’s time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
