⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

How to Survive When a Key Employee Leaves Your Company Here are four ways to ensure that when a key leader moves on, your team will be able to deal with the transition.

By Marty Fukuda

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Andersen Ross | Getty Images

Great companies have a knack for keeping their employees so satisfied they rarely want to leave. As a result, they have little turnover. However, all companies, even the best, will experience a departing team member at some point. When faced with a personnel change, any team will be challenged, but when it's a key executive the change can be devastating. With improper handling, this can set your organization back significantly.

Here are four ways to ensure that when a key leader moves on, your team will be able to deal with the transition:

1. Embrace a healthy level of transparency.

Anytime an employee leaves a company, the rumor mill kicks into overdrive, even in healthy cultures. It's human nature to wonder and to ask, why? This curiosity is proportionate to the departing employee's position and tenure with the company.

Related: What to Do When an Employee Leaves

Know that when a key executive leaves, it needs careful management – perhaps the most damaging thing an executive team can do is to gloss over the change. The optics of silence are infinitely worse than healthy discussion.

It's natural for your team to be inquisitive and often necessary for them to understand how this change fits into the big picture. While it may be inappropriate to discuss the particulars of why an executive is leaving, it is crucial to discuss what the plan moving forward is. How a change in the organization will impact the individuals on the team is what will be on top of everyone's mind. This is where the team needs reassurance from its leadership branch that there is a plan and that things will be ok.

2. Talk to the most impacted parties one on one.

Of course, those who reported directly to the exiting leader will feel strongest about the change. Some may have an emotional or personal response, particularly if their former boss was well liked. It's of critical importance to speak personally to anyone who worked closely with the departing executive. It's so crucial, that if in doubt, widen the circle and speak to a bigger number of team members one on one.

Many team members simply will want an opportunity to voice their opinions or to ask questions. Even if they don't feel strongly either way, they will appreciate that you took the time to keep them informed. They will feel like "insiders," rather than out of the loop. Other team members also will want to know how the change will impact them. The honest answer in the moment may be, "I don't know," but it is nonetheless important to reassure them that things will be alright -- and that they will be included in the process to figure out the next steps. A brief proactive conversation with key individuals early on will help avoid more difficult ones in the future.

Related: 4 Steps to Take When a Key Employee Quits

3. Ask, what can be learned?

When an executive departs, it's important for the top executives to understand why. And if it was a leader they wanted to stay, what, if anything, could they have done to prevent the departure? Executive turnover can be a tremendously taxing experience for a company to go through. While some change is probably both inevitable and healthy, too much can cause turmoil. Learning from the experience of the moment can be most beneficial as new talent joins the leadership suite.

Was the executive given enough freedom, the proper resources or opportunities for more responsibility? Honestly assessing these questions can help you position their replacement for success.

4. Rally your executive team together.

Even if a replacement officer is immediately in the wings, it's likely they will need some assistance as they transition into their new responsibilities. This provides a great opportunity for your entire executive suite to come together to share in the work and to welcome the newest leader. While this temporary shift in duties is necessary in the short term, you may also discover that long term, it can make sense to shuffle some responsibilities around based on the new team dynamic and individual skill sets.

Related: 7 Ways to Keep Your Best Employees

At first glance, the restructuring of your leadership team may feel like a burden or obstacle. While undoubtedly it will present additional challenges, it can also be an opportunity to evaluate your past and explore ways to make the organization stronger in the future.

Marty Fukuda

Chief Operating Officer of N2 Publishing

Chicago native Marty Fukuda is the chief operating officer of N2 Publishing, overseeing operations at its corporate headquarters in Wilmington, N.C. He first joined the company as an area director in 2008 after working in the direct sales and print industries. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.