Thread by @sibumabena

One of my team members (Duma employee) asked to see me yesterday for a quick meeting to tell me he’s actively looking for a job...

Here’s how I reacted to an employee of 2 years telling me he’s using resources in my company to look for a job elsewhere...

A THREAD...

Context: this guy was an intern at a company I used to work at. As I was building my team and that company was restructuring and I going out on my own, I offered him a job with the Collective. So he became one of our social media coordinators and later Junior Social Media Manager

He’s grown in leaps and bounds and now handles clients directly without me interfering which I think has given him good exposure and networking opportunities... and by clients I mean global compnybttpe clients...

He bought his first car as a result of one of the salary raises whilst working with us. We even support his side hustle as a company by plugging him with some of our clients. Basically... we’ve been good to each other.

But with all that said: NO BUSINESS IS ENTITLED TO AN EMPLOYEE REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY FEEL THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT AS A CAREER PERSON

So...what was my reaction to “I just want to let you know that I’m actively looking for another job” ? 🧐

I said “That’s dope. In what field?” And proceeded to ask him a few questions and then said “I’m asking so that I know what to say to people who are looking for someone like you” and keep my ear on the ground with people like xxxx and xxxx

I also said that he should let me know when he needs to go for interviews so that we can work around scheduling.

He also mentioned that this will help because then people can call me for a reference and I won’t be shocked

We’ve already started... might seem like I’m eager to get him out... but to be honest, I’m just eager to have him meet his next sooner rather than later because his real joy will come from growth and the excitement of something new and more challenging

What’s the lesson here:

Small Business Owners... we don’t own people nor do we own their intellectual property or anything we’ve taught them or exposed them to. Your mission is to improve people’s lives through your products & services as well as employment.

Help people become better...don’t stifle their growth by being self serving! It will be a great loss to my business but a great gain to his life when he finds another opportunity. In the meantime, he’s free to use the WiFi & lap top as much as he wants to in order to achieve that

What I appreciate most:

COMMUNICATION!!! Had I found out via via that he’s doing this during Duma Collective work time using DC resources, I’m not sure my reaction would’ve been the same.

The End.

P.S:

I learnt this from my previous bosses Shaka Sisulu and Che Ajulu. When I was working for them, they could tell I NEEDED to go solo...and then went on to offer me office space. Imagine! I would be a shitty human if I forgot that and didn’t do unto others as was done to me!