A Lesson In Exit Strategy

A client was trying to hold on until the bonus payout. While trying to do that, she was entangled in a toxic work environment and boundaries were getting crossed right and left. It was still the days of WFH (work-from-home) during the pandemic and her value of work-life balance was no longer honored. 

The current challenge was how to survive while developing an exit strategy and still communicate the challenges to leadership since the working conditions were no longer tolerable.

The exit date was on the horizon and there were three weeks left…

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Excerpt from an actual coaching session. Names and dates were removed for confidentiality.

Coach Michelle: 

“I’m going to tell you something. This is exactly like coaching for leaving the job, not uncommon to when you would actually do this. Plan this meeting (with the boss) so that you are prepared for if you have to go. Not taking anything confidential to the company, but get your ducks in a row. 

Now, I know you want to come to the table for how it can all be better for you. What are the boundaries that you want to set with them?”

Client:

“Yes. So it is more about, at the end of the day, it’s not needs for me or my team… I need cross-functional support… It needs to be pushed from the top down.

Point blank, I need my hours back to 40 hours per week. And I need to be able to share with them what can get done in a 40 hour work week. Right now we’re at 50 - 60 hours per week for me and my Team Leader. And then the rest of the team is at 40 hours per week. It’s unacceptable. The cross-functional team, at no fault to them, because it’s company structure, aren’t supporting us.”

Coach Michelle:

“I hear you on that one, 100%. Do you have a suggestion for them for what kind of position should be hired that has been dumped on your plate?”

Client:

“It’s financial and remittance support. I need people that could give us the financial details and planning efforts and the item opportunities we need. And the remittance support comes down to an operational play, where we need someone to come in and own it. …There is a person in play for this, but it’s falling on me when this potential new hire won’t even report to me…. 

On top of that, I see that (leadership) is recognizing that some have a target on their back. The potential new hire would need to report to those who are likely to be terminated or leave. And so they are pushing the responsibility of this new role to me, as well as to own that oversight. As a result, I’m getting burned out. We might have the right roles, but we don’t have the right people in the roles.”

Coach Michelle:

“Do you think that is something they could rectify or not?”

Client:

“Yes, it is. But it takes time to fix it because you have to get people out and the right people in.”

Coach Michelle:

“Did you inherit your team?”

Client:

“All but two people, yep.”

Coach Michelle:

“Ok… Do you think your entire department has an “x” on their back?”

Client:

“No. It comes down to the cross-functional people I’m working with right now.”

Coach Michelle:

“Well shoot. Why don’t we plan that as we get closer to (the bonus date) since we’ll meet somewhere around there, that we take a bit of that time to do some coaching about how to have that conversation (with the boss).

It’s a couple of things: it’s the emotion to be removed and there’s some training to that and also to coach you to try to get the outcome you want. I’m not saying that it’s likely… but you could get thrown a surprise. 

They might say, ‘Wow. We don’t want to lose (Client) and we’re going to make some effective and quick changes.’ And we want to be prepared for these different scenarios.

We know one of those is that there could be a parting of ways, by them or by you because you’re already so burned out.

The other is… well, I would liken this to my recruiting days, where I’d call it the Counter-Offer Throwback - whenever a candidate was going to leave and the current company gives them that real hard sell to stay. I’ve always counseled candidates that you already were planning to leave for a reason; when you stay you just make it harder for yourself.

I’m not saying you’re trying to do that, but they might interpret (this conversation) as we really gotta work hard to make this right! In the best way, it could be a surprise that they turn it around. I’m guessing that it has to be a pretty miraculous fix… right?”

Client:

“Yeah, it does. It does.”

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Since it can be hard to catch with just an excerpt of the dialogue from this hour-long coaching session, I was attempting 3 things with my client:

1.) Encouragement + Confirmation

2.) Verification of What My Client Could Control

3.) Strategic Steps Forward & Out

If you are planning an Exit, here are three tips to keep things under control:

Encouragement + Confirmation.

Be critical with yourself with what you do know and stop assuming the other side’s perspective. You actually need to have confirmation in a conversation. 

Encourage yourself that you have diligently sought clarity and attempted to resolve the issues at your current place of employment.

Verify What’s in Your Power to Control.

As in my client's case, there could be effective change if they let the wrong people go and bring the right people in. But that takes time.

When you establish your parameters of what you want to accomplish and what you can effectively control, you are armed with wisdom on your best steps forward.

Plan the Steps Out.

An exit strategy is done so you don’t just walk into work one day full of emotions and quit with nothing lined up.

My client engaged in coaching services with me approximately six weeks before the targeted exit date with the requirement/need to stay until the bonus date.

Plan things in a series of intentionality:

a.) Discuss with the boss the true concerns and your suggested changes that they can choose to accept, modify, or deny.

b.) Wait for their action and if it aligns with your wishes, but attach a timeframe that you decide. While this is going on, move forward with your steps to leave such as resume updated, LinkedIn profile updated, job search strategy configured.

c.) Begin the interview process with other companies while you aim to work things out internally, pending step (b.) and how the company has responded.

I’m happy to report that my client had a very productive conversation with her boss. They listened and worked to make changes, but in many ways, it was just too late. I worked with her to begin the re-branding process (resume, LinkedIn, tailored job search strategy) and she landed within 4 weeks of starting her job search.

Exiting might be necessary. Just create the plan.

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Article originally published on the blog for RP4C.com Follow Michelle Rademacher and the RP4C Company Page for more inspiration and career coaching advice. If needing to make an exit from your current situation, schedule a Discovery Call with Michelle.