Locate the Nearest Exit Signs

How many of us have either heard or seen the title to today’s missive during the course of their lives? Without stretching too many ligaments, I would guess probably at or near 100 percent. But being aware of exit signs often transcends office fire drills or airline safety instructions.

How about those exit signs when one of your valued employees is getting ready to jump ship?

I say “valued” because if they were mediocre or sub-par, I doubt you would care if they sought greener pastures elsewhere.

But there are some obvious and not so obvious signals that someone is preparing to file their two-week notice and it still amazes me how often management is oblivious to changes that, short of carrying a sign, indicate that you’ll need to shortly take out a classified ad.

For starters if you see an employee’s work production, once the equivalent of three people, has dropped off measurably, it may serve as an indicator that they’re no longer inspired and challenged. So before they drop the requisite resignation letter, you may want to sit them down in the conference room and take their temperature.

If one employee, whose wardrobe traditionally looks like they’ve changed transmission fluid or the aftermath of a buying spree at a second-hand store, suddenly morphs into an ad for Brooks Brothers, hint: it’s not to impress the men/women at the office. They’re talking to potential employers either before or after work.

Ditto for extra-long lunches, frequent tardiness or a rush to get out of the office exactly at 5 pm., when heretofore they’ve traditionally hung around much longer.

Faking an illness is one that I can relate to. A woman, who regularly ran marathons, rarely missed a day in the gym and probably had a body fat content of about 3 percent, suddenly began to suffer from frequent colds and body aches leading to a string of absences.

A short time later she was on the masthead of a major newspaper.

Too often management is so ensconced in their own work that the above-mentioned signs usually fly under the radar. But it might be worthwhile to sit back and take an impromptu satisfaction survey of the staff.

Because in addition to an often stressful daily agenda, the last thing you probably want to hear is an employee coming into your office and asking if you’ve got a minute.