Exes or alumni

I’ve seen a few posts on LinkedIn recently about both the mass layoffs done in the worst way and also posts about people wanting a second chance after leaving or turning down a job offer. And I doubt many of the former companies are having those latter conversations.

So how do you treat your former employees and employers? What culture are you showing to your clients, your contractors, your colleagues, and your candidates?

When the relationship ends, do you seek to cut yourself off, like a betrayal, or continue to foster a relationship, even slight, so that collaborations in the future are possible? Are there people and places you’d be happy to return to in the right circumstances, and the ones that got away that you still pine for?

Thinking back on my career, I definitely have a mix, but very heavily weighted towards finding paths back. Indeed, at least 3 roles, and a few interviews on top, have been due to reconnecting with people I’d previously worked with, and rekindling opportunities.

I never want to leave a relationship sour, even when there are cultural differences that mean I wouldn’t want to work somewhere again, there are always people and projects that I’ll keep an interest in.

So, for all those you no longer work with, or never got the chance to work with, are you testing them with bitterness, like the ex you blame for everything that went wrong when you were with them? Or do you feel like an alumnus, a community that grew with a shared goal, and still keeps in touch because your past will always impact your future?

Leave the Door Open for Employees to Return to Your Organization
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