This round of pet peeves is focused on poor last day of work experiences (seems only fitting since I just had first day of work pet peeves):
- How, how, how: Most people give at least two weeks notice. I will never understand why people wait until the last day or the second to last day to accept that all knowledge must be transferred before they leave. Everyone waiting until the last minute to ask all of their “how” questions does not equal crisis for the person leaving. Plan better.
- Worked to the bone: Too often I see the approach of “let’s get everything we possibly can out of this person in the last two weeks” fail miserably. People that are leaving are not prone to wanting to work extreme number of overtime hours or pick up extra projects before they leave (even if they don’t mentally check out – they don’t want to leave things unfinished).
- Gossip: I have truly been completely honest about why I was leaving – nothing scandalous, yet, I am then asked a ton of questions “are you leaving because of him?”, “are layoffs coming?”, etc. Sometimes people move on without any good gossip and even if there was a deeper reason, respect what they choose to share.
- Lack of celebration: I’ve seen too many times when people stop appreciating and celebrating as people move on to a new place. Their departure has no reflection on whether you should stay or go. Take the time to celebrate people that hopefully you are invested in – you never know when your path may cross again in the future.
As much as these are pet peeves, they are mine and as a leader that doesn’t mean I get to simply judge others. Instead, these serve as opportunities for others and for me to grow. If this stuff was easy, I wouldn’t be sharing.
What are your last day of work pet peeves?
