#535: Losing An Employee: How To Learn From The Experience, Let Go, & Move On

4 things you should always remember when a team member quits

In my many years of entrepreneurship, one of the most challenging things I’ve experienced is having a team member quit. 

If you’ve ever been through this before, I’m sure you can relate. Afterall, your business is your baby – so when someone decides to hit the ground running in another direction, it’s hard not to take it personally. 

Recently, I had 3 people leave in a very short period of time. And even though I’ve lost employees before, this time was a little different because I wasn’t really expecting it. 

I won’t lie, it’s been an emotionally difficult experience. But here’s the thing – it’s also brought some really important learning lessons to the forefront – lessons that I know I’ll take with me for years to come. 

In this episode, I share what those lessons are, along with how I’ve managed to let go of the experience and move on. 

It’s my hope that this will help you immensely as you continue to grow your business, expand your team, and experience everything (both good and bad) that comes along with it. 

Here’s a glance at this episode...

[01:43] Losing a team member is one of the hardest parts about entrepreneurship.

[02:50] We recently lost three people on our marketing team. The whole experience brought some really important lessons to the forefront.

[03:47] As an entrepreneur, you will lose people. Most of us don't love the HR part of being an entrepreneur.

[05:24] You need employees to grow and scale your business. You can't do big amazing things all alone.

[06:10] Losing employees is simply part of business. You can't take it personally if you want to keep moving forward.

[08:34] The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) says that you cannot create a role for someone else. Find someone to fill a role that makes good business sense. 

[12:18] We had one of the people who left fill out an exit interview. We were surprised by what she wrote. As managers, we need to ask the right questions. 

[14:52] Make sure that you're very clear on the role that you're hiring for in the first place.

[17:15] Slow down when it's time to hire someone. What are they going to do? Are they able to make decisions? Does the team understand their role?

[18:06] Even though losing an employee is emotionally and financially difficult, there's always a lesson in the experience.

[20:02] Always conduct an exit interview. Ask: What would have made your job better? What would make the company better? What could I have done better?

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