This is a letter for anyone who has made a scary career change
Last week I wrote about how I think it’s misguided to put a lot of value in the job titles we hold. Since then, I’ve been thinking a lot about what job retention actually means to both the people being retained and to the leaders who are trying to retain them.
It fascinates me how we humans crave permanence and completion, despite the universe constantly reminding us that nothing lasts. We hear from business experts that a great culture and the right hires will guarantee a fantastic, enduring team. The desired outcome, it seems, must be a stable environment that generates reliable results in a culture that feels comfortable to everyone involved.
This idea puts immense pressure on leaders to “get it perfect” and implies that those with strong teams are model students, while those facing turnover or team struggles are failing. It also suggests that once a great team is built, maintaining it is simple if we just “do things right.” That’s just not the reality. There’s no such thing as a “finished” team.
Building a positive culture and striving for great hiring and retention are worthwhile goals. We should absolutely pursue them. However, we need to recognize that these outcomes are not entirely within our control. And honestly, even if they were, we wouldn’t want them to be.
For the last eight years, I have had the incredible pleasure of working with the one and only Stephanie Goss. Many of you will know her as my partner in crime in the Uncharted live events and also on our podcasts. In our time together, we have collaborated to do some work I’m extremely proud of. We have grown one of the top podcasts in the industry, and Stephanie has become a recognized thought leader in veterinary practice management. She is a force of nature in her creativity, positivity, and her ability to create deep and meaningful relationships. I have been thrilled to have her as an employee on my team… and now she is leaving.
When Stephanie came to work at Uncharted, she had never done consulting, speaking, podcasting, or community building as part of her job. When I tried to get her to be my co-host on a podcast I was starting, at first I didn’t think she would do it. She had to push herself and summon her courage to make the leap! But she did, and then she began to blossom.
Over the last eight years, Stephanie has developed countless skills and deep expertise. She has come to understand how our business and industry work, and she has developed her own interests and passions. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when she told me, with tears in her eyes, that she was ready to set off to do the things that were truly calling her.
The truth is that my tiny organization doesn’t have an endless capacity for people to advance or to explore areas outside of our primary mission. I wish it did, but that’s just not reality.
We need to abandon the idea that climbing a ladder “onward and upward” will make us happy people. We also need to quit acting like people are not going to develop new interests, outgrow their roles, decide they want to work for themselves, or simply get tired of doing the same old job. They will do all of these things, and that’s not leadership failure. It’s beautiful.
People are not robots. We are not collectibles that can be acquired and stored. We are living, adapting organisms in a complex ecosystem. Why would any of us think the norm is to retain employees permanently or keep our job indefinitely?
I will miss working with my friend every day. The sadness I feel is real. But sadness does not mean something is bad. When my daughter goes off to college next year, my heart will break but I know her departure will mean incredible things for her and that I have done at least a passable job in my role as parent. Her moving out will not be a “failure of leadership” or something she should be embarrassed about, but just another sign that nothing in this world lasts.
That impermanence is what makes our days and lives so special.
