A friend and mentor, Rusty Gordon, and I thought about working together for a bit…somewhere in that chapter where we were meeting regularly he said:
Roy, I will either fire you or you will fire me. That’s how this ends.
Harsh? Perhaps. True? Absolutely.
This has been one of the most narrowing and focusing heuristics I have used to build and manage a team. Unless your name is on the door, it means you will either fire your company or your company will fire you. This is the case 100% of the time…one day will be your last day. Either orchestrated by you or for you.
As you build a team you must know that you are just a chapter in this person’s career. I used to take it personally when people quit. I would even hold a grudge and if they boomeranged back because they were over promised an OTE… “Too bad! Have fun enjoying the consequences of leaving behind a good thing”. It was stupid. A pride filled response.
Once I figured out that it wasn’t that personal, I began weaving this truth into my hiring process.
This is a team. We are all here to add value to the team. If anyone on the team subtracts value from the team, its time for that person to no longer be apart of the team. Its a simple equation in the end.
I’m glad that I’ve brought that philosophy to the table as a founder. We’re prone to think that low turnover is the sign of a healthy culture, but often it’s just a sign that people aren’t being held accountable or that leadership doesn’t truly understand their goal. Even in our short time as a company, we’ve had people come and go.
The reasons for departure have varied. The employee requested compensation that we’re not in a position to offer and so they’ve sought out something that better suits their current needs. The employee accepts an offer from a bigger player with all the bells and whistles of corporate America (for better or worse). We need someone who’s more agile, flexible, or more capable in a certain practice. The list goes on.
Does that mean that I’ve failed as a leader? I don’t think so. I have honest conversations with team members about what they need and what we need. If both sides of that equation line up we keep working together. But it shouldn’t be obligatory on either side.
If your priorities don’t align with the rest of the team, it results in unhealthy friction. If your team goals are being hindered by a team member, it results in unhealthy friction. Neither party wants that friction in the long haul.