In my Inclusive Leadership programme, I talk about exit velocity.
Exit velocity is the experience of leaving an #organisation better than when you first joined, and doing so with upward mobility. In other words, the organisation #hires you, #invests in you and enhances your #workexperience, leaving you a more competent and aspirational worker. You leave better than when you came.
When this happens the now ex-employee becomes the best #advert and #advocate for the organisation – all the because of the way they were treated. They left with an elevated velocity.
Today’s industry is marked by the #Great#Resignation.
The Great Resignation refers to the present phenomenon of people leaving their work in their droves. They are resigning left, right and centre, since #COVID – even resigning from applying for jobs never mind resigning from the employer who thinks, “Because I pay you, I own you!”
We know from the Great Resignation research that Generation Z and Millennials are of a different mindset when it comes to work. They aspire for a better work/life balance. They refuse to live in order to work. They would rather work in order to live. This means that they won’t stay in the same employment forever.
So, think about exit velocity.
When you plan, exit velocity; when you advertise, exit velocity; when you interview, exit velocity; when you delegate, exit velocity; when you train, exit velocity; when you call for redundancy, exit velocity.
The exit velocity paradigm transforms the organisation’s view of and approach to its workers. It views them as colleagues in whom they want to make an investment. Therefore, because they want them to leave better than when they first came, they want to give them the best (kairos) work experience they would have hitherto had.
The exit velocity paradigm also presumes upon the notion that leaders are leading leaders. They are not merely thinking about succession (ie, colleagues taking over leadership positions tomorrow) but accession (colleagues being equipped to lead elsewhere).
To lead leaders is to give them ownership of their role and creativity. Don’t underestimate the power of granting ownership. It confers a sense of belonging, which in turn makes the #employee give more. The invested becomes an investor.
There are tools that I use to help organisations think this through with purpose. If you want to know more, hit me up.
Here’s a link to my original LinkedIn post.