How Do You Know When It’s Time to Go?

Credit: Bill Gillespie

How do you know when it’s time to go? What triggers tell you to move on? How do you separate fair play from frustration? When is it your environment and when is it you? Can you tell?

I quit a job. I’ve quit more than one but this company was giftwrapped. The owner and I were pals. We spent time almost every day kicking tires and discussing possibilities. The place was fertile ground for an idea guy like me.

There was an Executive VP. I didn’t work for this guy but I did care what he thought. We were also pals. He sold lots of printing. We appreciated one another and what each of us had managed to accomplish.

I had an idea regarding the customer journey. I had it in mind that our operating system could trigger client touches when certain things happened. Specifically, I wanted a company leader to contact clients when they requested their first estimate, applied for credit, placed their first order and received their first invoice.

As a better than average sales dude, I can tell you that a note or call from the top dog thanking the client for looking into doing business with us and ultimately doing business with us has power. Each of these events has a one-time sales value. I was the head of sales and I wanted to know how viable the technology was to make this happen.

The VP got wind of it. Another employee called him and shared my question. It wasn’t an attempt to sell more stuff. It was a turf guarding conversation.

The VP showed up in my office. He wanted to understand my idea. He listened, decided it intruded on something he wanted to manage and told me to cancel my vendor appointment.

I declined and we debated. I explained that I wanted and deserved to know what was possible. I didn’t ask to own the project. I didn’t even suggest that I would launch a project. I simply said, “I want to know what is possible.”

The argument continued. We’re friends so it never got heated. Tense, yes. Heated, no.

I knew, thanks to that conversation, that it was time to move on. We were more concerned about ownership than progress. I could not be the best version of myself. I couldn’t fix it without a fight.

If you know me you know that I don’t run from conflict. I would ask for a show of hands but it would look like a stadium wave. You can’t lead or be a change agent without conflict. I don’t scare easily.

I chose not to have this one. It was time to go. I spent a few days in reflection, came to a conclusion and let ownership know my plans to hang it up. I was ready for a new chapter and they needed a different guy.

I’ve written on quitting versus fixing more than once. If you follow me, you recently read an article that suggests looking in the mirror before you jump. There is value in rolling up your sleeves and making your company better. If the environment is open to progress grab it and growl. Every jump can cost you money.

But, like anything in life there are times when it’s simply time to go. You owe it to yourself to work where you can be the best version of you! As I like to say, “you’re selling your life for dollars. Make it pay.” I’ve resigned jobs and consulting assignments that no longer fit. Onward and upward.

You can tell when the environment is right for you. You’re excited. The work feels less like work and more like fun. Opportunity has a way of showing up. So does success.

It’s the same, in reverse, when the environment is wrong. You can tell you don’t matter. You’re tolerated not appreciated. Little things are hard. You hate going to work. You can’t wait for the day to end.

Have you ever bought two identical house plants? When you got home has one done better than the other? Does one bloom and the other look sickly? It’s most likely the spot you put it in.

Look in the mirror. This time do it for yourself. Do you like what you see looking back? If not, fix it.