What if we celebrated people leaving an organization with honor and gratitude?
This thought came to us during a brainstorm for our company, Phi. The way our company treats people leaving for another company, retiring, or even upon being "let go" for any reason, will have an effect on that individual's health. We thought about the impact that many can feel upon leaving a community for whatever reason. We talked about how we have felt after being disconnected from a group. We decided that no matter the reason for leaving our company, there should be celebration and gratitude for the accomplishments and failures that happened while that person was with us. More than severance (what a crazy world when you think about it), you could a celebration and have gifts and emblems of gratitude given to them in their honor.
I watch my brother-in-law, who is in the Navy, have many advancement ceremonies. He is part of a community that will take care of him and his family until he dies, because of his years dedicated to the organization.
It got me thinking about how religions treat their members who part ways. I can say with certainty that the organized religion I was a part of has no medal of honor or ribbon of gratitude for years of service rendered for that organization. Imagine if we changed the customs around people choosing to move to a new religion. We met them with gratitude for their time spent supporting and serving that religion.
This is a message I am virtually submitting in the suggestion box for anyone reading right now and that has a responsibility over a congregation of people. There is a 100% chance that several people will leave your congregation, your company, your club. Please consider thanking them for their time and wish them the very best as they evolve and go forth courageously into the unknown. This behavior and action will greatly increase the emotional well-being and physical well-being of your community members, past and present.
SP
DALL-E designed a little pendant for helping Phi out even if you only were with our company for a few months.
Great suggestion on bringing more humanity to goodbyes, particularly at companies (don't even get me started with religions). I have yet to see a well-orchestrated goodby from a company leadership-perspective when somebody is being asked to leave.
Maybe the Religion that you leave, doesn't consider that you are really gone and hopes that you will return. There is really no goodbye in their mind.