Boomerang Effect!

I’ve never actually thrown a boomerang before and managed to bring it back!

Regardless, a boomerang is a good metaphor for employees coming back to your organization after they have left to “explore other options”.

No matter how hard we as managers work to build a culture that is fit for a Best Places to Work Award, some employees are inevitably going to leave our teams.

Anyone in a leadership role has experienced that cringy moment when an employee says, “Can I talk to you for a minute? I have some news to share. I’m giving you my notice.”

What is the best way to respond to these moments?

My first reaction is to ask, “Is there anything we can do to keep you on the team?”

But if the answer is “No, I’ve made up my mind.” – then the only smart choice (assuming you are sad this person is leaving) is to graciously respect the decision and begin to celebrate his/her/their time with the organization. We need to begin to treat departing employees like they are alumni.

By reacting this way you increase your chances of the boomerang effect, the likelihood that they’ll someday come back.

No one ever forgets how you make them feel.

My team has heard me repeat the Maya Angelou quote ad nauseum “…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

The emotional connection to you as somebody is exiting — you as a manager; you as an organization — really is predictive of whether they come back.

Now if I could just get my darn boomerang to do the same!