Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Have you ever experienced a team member leaving suddenly and without warning?
What impacts did you see? Like project delays, skill, and knowledge gaps, other team members wonder why, team morale.
Did you find out what reasons the team member had to leave and not announce it?
What early warning signs did you miss? Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Thomas, I haven’t seen this in my own organization but that probably because we have a small team. However, I’ve heard from my other colleagues of mine that this is very common in organizations these days and it’s going both ways: People resign suddenly and in other cases, they get laid off without warning. The nature of the world we live in these days is very strange … No. commitment from any party and no job security!
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1 reply by Thomas Walenta
Nov 13, 2023 11:13 AM
Thomas Walenta
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Thanks Rami, seems you are lucky not have made this experience.
I had the experience several times when high-flyers left my projects since they found something more interesting.
First, a new project is more interesting as uncertainty is high and freedom for creativity is given. As we get along the project, problems get easier to solve and less interesting for the really good people. We need different people for the different phases.
Second, as we are a trustful team, there is a bad feeling about showing a perceived lack of loyalty. Hence it is a very personal and tough decision for them. They might have shown signs of a possible intention to leave but my lack of empathy has hampered my awareness.
Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Nov 13, 2023 10:26 AM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
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Thomas, I haven’t seen this in my own organization but that probably because we have a small team. However, I’ve heard from my other colleagues of mine that this is very common in organizations these days and it’s going both ways: People resign suddenly and in other cases, they get laid off without warning. The nature of the world we live in these days is very strange … No. commitment from any party and no job security!
Thanks Rami, seems you are lucky not have made this experience.
I had the experience several times when high-flyers left my projects since they found something more interesting.
First, a new project is more interesting as uncertainty is high and freedom for creativity is given. As we get along the project, problems get easier to solve and less interesting for the really good people. We need different people for the different phases.
Second, as we are a trustful team, there is a bad feeling about showing a perceived lack of loyalty. Hence it is a very personal and tough decision for them. They might have shown signs of a possible intention to leave but my lack of empathy has hampered my awareness.
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1 reply by Rami Kaibni
Nov 13, 2023 11:48 AM
Rami Kaibni
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I hear you, Thomas. I just think we are starting a new different employer/employee era at the moment and not sure how it will shape up. There are unusual things happening, at least from what I see.
I've had this happen to team members on projects which my PMs were leading. Usually, the departure was known to the person's people manager in advance but for one reason or another they chose not to inform my PM. Of course, this results in disruption to time lines, team cohesion and many other impacts.
Quiet quitting on the other hand is when a team member is there in body but not in mind or spirit. It is a close cousin to the Great Resignation and is a reaction to the realization that while our job might suck, there are sufficient reasons to stay put even though that might be soul draining.
This is a common phenomenon in organizations which offer golden handcuffs such as good pension plans to their staff...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Nov 13, 2023 11:13 AM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
...
Thanks Rami, seems you are lucky not have made this experience.
I had the experience several times when high-flyers left my projects since they found something more interesting.
First, a new project is more interesting as uncertainty is high and freedom for creativity is given. As we get along the project, problems get easier to solve and less interesting for the really good people. We need different people for the different phases.
Second, as we are a trustful team, there is a bad feeling about showing a perceived lack of loyalty. Hence it is a very personal and tough decision for them. They might have shown signs of a possible intention to leave but my lack of empathy has hampered my awareness.
I hear you, Thomas. I just think we are starting a new different employer/employee era at the moment and not sure how it will shape up. There are unusual things happening, at least from what I see. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Thanks, Kiron,
I can relate to the situation if people leave a company altogether and not just a team…
Then surely HR people and management need to know formally through a notice and they may be inhibited to share it even with project managers.
Yes, there is a negative impact on the project.
Even in these cases, the employee made up their mind for some time and the PM was not aware. What you call quiet quitting might have occurred to some extent (wanting to quit but not daring to). I have seen people and their performance suffer, and this might give the PM some hints. Saving Changes...
I have experienced the quiet quitting and the unannounced resignations.
When good work is rewarded the same as poor performance, where is rationale to do more than the bare minimum when it pays the same and good work requires more effort? Similarly if they are not given any ownership of their own work and just told what to do, they may accept that they are being set up for failure and lose all emotional investment in the outcome. There was even a term coined at one time in the US military: "Embrace the suck."
What I have seen on multiple occasions is a good employee will find a new job, and then recruit others from the job they just left. There is usually no interest in training their replacements which can quickly lead to a very large knowledge gap. It can also negate months of prior work since it might be virtually impossible for someone else to pick up where they left off and require starting over. In one case I even found a former employee had deleted our entire server share before departing. Saving Changes...
Yes, I've seen sudden departures impact teams differently based on the person's role in the project and the project's organizational structure. The impact could range from minimal disruptions to catastrophic, depending on various circumstances. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Thomas Your question is very interesting. It deserves some reflection
A person abandons the project and the company without even showing signs of doing so?
Is it worth asking if the project manager has the habit of going to the "gemba"? To talk to people? To know what's going on?
The project manager, instead of being surprised by the employee's attitude, can try to find out what happened. Will he like the answer?
Is pointing the finger the best attitude for a project manager? Or, on the contrary, ask himself: "What could I have done to keep that person on my team?"
Of course, in certain circumstances, it is a relief for the project manager if the person leaves :-) Saving Changes...
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