Reflections on knowing when it's time to leave a company

Recently, I took the chance to visit some of my ex-colleagues. Maintaining these connections is always valuable, it is always refreshing to keep contact and see how things evolve over time for companies where you used to be part of.

Curiously enough, I found this article by Adrian Cockcroft in my off-topics tab group (if you know the amount of tabs I have, that I find something in there is just a coincidence 😅).

While the article primarily focuses on Amazon, the insights are applicable to various organizations:

“When growth is flat to shrinking companies freeze like deer in the headlights, and to make it worse managers start to hoard headcount and play politics to preserve their products.”

I’ve often been struck by an environment where everyone seems like a competitor, feeling the need to “look out for your people,” even if it works against the company. While internal politics is inevitable in big companies, to continuously feel in a competition can be demotivating, especially when one doesn’t align with the prevailing power dynamics.

“Innovation goes away, micromanagement appears and everyone gets less useful work done”

During challenging times, innovation tends to take a back seat (or exit) in struggling companies (Look at what happened during the first waves of COVID), driven by a survival-focused mindset. Unfortunately, this often leads to the departure of some contributors. Talent is always thirsty to learn something new, innovation brings a lot of “new” stuff… Connect the points

“As an employee, it’s usually best to leave in the first wave of cut”

Because there is nothing like seeing the dawn of the culture as you know it to replace it (and in “times of need”, most like it to replace it for something you don’t like as much 🥲).

“management care more about real estate than product… Customers don’t care what the companies buildings are like.”

This trend is not exclusive to Amazon. Lavish new offices, costing millions, contrast sharply with the downsizing and downgrading experienced by numerous employees. While such strategies may drive people away, companies outside the FAANG spectrum risk damaging their reputation and talent won’t be as eager to join you as before.

“Disagreeing is career-limiting, so what we are seeing is ‘Disagree and quit’. People are interviewing while waiting for their next RSU grant”

And you will definetively see this, and how people “brag” about it with a demi-smile in their face while we may laugh about how it is not fine. This as a coping mechanism and let’s not lie to ourselves, a lot of times money is good enough incentive, but I can’t but get a bit sad every time I have said it or heard it from someone who used to be passionate about their day-to-day at work.

Sometimes we just don’t know when its time to leave a company, but sometimes we gotta do it before it takes the best of us. 🌸

Read the full article: Signs that it’s time to leave a company by Adrian Cockcroft