It’s time to celebrate!
So you’re about to part ways with the person who has been by your side for as long as you can remember and you are absolutely devastated. Nothing this bad has happened since Ross and Rachel broke up. But hey, remember, this is not all about you! It’s time to crack open the bubbly and start organising the send off you know your bestie deserves.
Queue the opportunity to annoy everyone who has been pestering you with 10 emails a day by shaking your large collection pot at them and then start figuring out how much you need to butter up the boss to ensure their AMEX goes behind the bar during the last hurrah. More prosecco…or should I say Dom Perignon anyone?
Don’t let this change your own path.
When change happens, abandoning ship is not always the best option and the grass is not always greener on the other side. You can trust me on that one, It’s easy to watch the person you are closest to hand in their notice and then question your own reasons for remaining in house, but if you’re only just starting to doubt your reasons for staying with a company, the chances are you’re simply going through a grieving process.
By no means is the office, your Monday morning coffee catch ups or those secret cigarette breaks going to be the same, but it definitely does not mean it’s time to pack your bags and run out of the door with them.
Focus and embrace the change that is happening. This experience will allow you to grow your business and personal skills so stay on track with your own career development path and let nothing distract you from reaching your goals.
Take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
As someone in a position of support, you are the backbone of your department and can utilise this opportunity to showcase your strategic thinking and commercial skills. Take a moment to really understand how this change will impact your team, the boss and the department in question.
If it is not you who is filling the vacancy, implement your own contingency plan so that the office doesn’t fall apart during the newbies probation period and make what could be a difficult transition for everyone, as painless and as successful as possible.
Are you the only one who knows your besties job description as well as you know your own? Take half an hour out of the office or perhaps organise a glass of wine post 6pm to go through a detailed but brief handover of all current projects/requirements as a backup ahead of the newbies arrival.
Is it you who knows the boss best after your soon to depart colleague? Draft a list between you of all of the things you know are vital to working with him/her best to make sure you don’t miss anything i.e. meeting etiquette, dietary requirements, important birthdays, members club details etc. Pretty much anything that will allow the new person to hit the ground running and make an amazing first impression.
Read the handover.
Treat this document as the holy grail and assign yourself as the guinea pig when getting your head around it. Again, this responsibility adds to your list of requirements when thinking strategically about this change which is not only going to affect you, but the boss too!
Read through the fingers crossed masterpiece once completed and make a list of questions as you progress. Stupid questions, obvious questions, questions that make no sense to you as someone who knows how the business operates but to a new team member, will be extremely valued to have already have answered. Sit down for a feedback session (again over a glass of wine if it makes the process more bearable) to ensure that this document is as comprehensive as possible and to also brush up on your own knowledge. You never know, you may be required to cover your besties desk in the event of a candidate emergency!
Make a new friend!
You might be losing a friend but you are also gaining a new one! With change comes the opportunity for new experiences with new acquaintances and regardless of your besties desk being covered by someone new, you will have made a friend for life and memories that will never disappear.