3 Ways to Work Yourself Out of a Job
I know what you're thinking: No, I'm not trying to get you fired. This is not that kind of post. Besides, you don't need me to help you do that. Rather, this is for those who are ready for the next challenge, but they still need to develop a good exit strategy. This means that they're ripe to stay if the company offers them a raise to stick around. This is also for those who feel stuck in a volunteer position that no one else seems to want to take over for.
How do you bow out gracefully? Here are three ideas to experiment with.
Compile all the lessons you learned during your time in this position. To remove barriers in finding a successor, give others tips on how to succeed at the position. Provide names, phone numbers, and other resources you've collected. This shows the next person he doesn't have to start from scratch, and he'll be more receptive to taking on the job.
Improve the development system in place for your position. Aside from any tips you offer, what is the organization doing to set people up for success? Does the employee manual list clear expectations and give examples of what a good job looks like? How prepared are they for the biggest challenges they might encounter? When a company can answer these questions in detail, transitions become much easier.
Set a hard deadline for your exit and see what happens. While this is an option, it's meant as a last resort. If you have to hit "eject," have your next position already lined up. Also have an exact date ready to go when you give notice to whoever's in charge. If you don't have everything lined up when you announce your calculated date, your plan fails.
Whatever you do, your goal is to avoid twisting someone's arm until he agrees to take over for you. If you neglect good talent at your organization, they will leave. Stability comes not from having your people in place as long as they can be. Rather, it's having a system in place to train up effective replacements when people move on.
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