School’s Out...

Well, actually it isn’t. The new quarter at UCLA Extension started about a week ago, and several of the other local schools have started their summer sessions as well. Meanwhile, there are self-study programs available through places like UNEX that you can start on whenever you’d like, and for-profit schools that will offer you a class on anything you are willing to pay for learning – at least, as long there are enough of you who want to pay to take it. But while school is definitely still in session, I am out – I had my last day at UNEX yesterday, and I’m off duty until my student fellowship starts up in August. Which got me thinking about the ways to end a job, and all of the things that would have been better than yesterday’s events…

To begin with, hardly anyone really took notice. Our Associate Dean, who was acting as the Department’s Director when I signed on, came down and said goodbye in person, which I think shows a lot of class. He’s one of three executives responsible for an organization of over a thousand people, and he actually found a moment in his day to come down to the fifth floor and say goodbye. My actual boss took a moment before he left for the weekend to say goodbye and thanks for my service, and a couple of my (nominal) subordinates said goodbye to me as I was leaving. But apart from a few email missives, more people noticed my departure on the average weekday than took notice of my leaving the organization forever yesterday…

I’ve been a manager myself, as you know, and I take issue with this procedure (or lack of one) on a professional basis. When one of our administrative assistants left the Department earlier this year they had a party for her that took up most of the afternoon; when my counterpart from the Entertainment Management unit left last month the only one who noticed was me. And if I hadn’t made the effort to take him out for lunch, his final day would have been as unremarkable as mine…

I’m not asking that anyone make a big fuss over my departure; I’m not asking for anything, in fact. I’m just noting that I may not have been around for more than 8 months – but I didn’t exactly get fired, leave under a cloud, or just skip out on them without giving 2 months notice first. Treating any employee as unimportant is stupid; the organization is effectively telling ALL of its people that they are less important to management than whatever momentary demands on their time have hit today’s schedule. Ignoring an employee’s departure will, in my experience, ultimately erode the organization’s relationship with everyone else, as well…

Which, I have to admit, makes me really glad that I’m going off to become a Management professor. Because, hopefully, someday in the very near future, I might be able to teach a few new managers about these events, and explain why not to let this happen in your company…