PART ONE: What to do when your communications director quits
Written by Katie Test Davis
Americans are quitting their jobs at a record rate. Korn Ferry calls it an “unprecedented string of walkouts”. News headlines nicknamed it “the great resignation”. However you describe it, the employee turnover in every industry, including ours, is so real right now.
I’m of two minds—I’m so glad we as a society are rethinking the way we work, the type of work we as whole humans actually want to do and how we want to do it. As someone who started an all-remote PR firm well before the pandemic, and who is a firm believer in work boundaries, I am here for it.
But I also know that this churn in the marketplace is impacting us all. From our foundation clients to our nonprofit clients to our school district clients—no industry or organization type we work with is immune. It’s a recalibration of huge proportions.
So we wanted to do what we always do when we see a need in our community: contribute. We created a two-part series we are calling “What to do when your communications director quits” that is designed to help guide you—our peers—through this oftentimes tricky transition. While we’re naming communications directors for ease, the advice we want to share can be applied to any role, really. The tenets are generally the same.
For this first installment of our two-part series, let’s start at the beginning of the process: what to do when your colleague gives notice.
When You Receive a Resignation
Give grace. Look, I know this person just told you bad news about your own workload and upended your work-life when they resigned. I get it—trust me, I do—but kindness always wins, and so I feel compelled to remind you to start there. While you may be having a panic spiral internally, do not (I repeat, do not) guilt-trip the departing person or get angry. Share your congratulations, tell them how much they have meant to you and the organization and ensure that your good relationship stays good well into the future.
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Next, jump into action. Start with logistics:
When is their last day?
What projects are on their plate?
What will they be able to realistically accomplish before leaving?
What will remain?
Ask them to make a list of all of their tasks—both current and upcoming—and then ruthlessly prioritize them so you know what needs to get covered. I find it helpful to make this list by tracking tasks by time frame. Ask what they do each day, each week, each month, quarter and annually. It’s a good way to organize the brain dump, and it will help you both think about what comes next.
Create a coverage plan. As consultants, we often step in at this point—clients will come to us after a staff member resigns, but before they have departed, and ask us to take over priority projects such as campaigns, reports, meetings or event coverage and more. At this stage, we ask lots of questions and help clients figure out the path forward. But let’s have some real talk: you will likely have to forgo and/or let go of tasks that previously were deemed important. As you process, ask:
What HAS to get done while you hire, and what can wait?
What resources do you have? Consultants, board members, volunteers?
Who can jump in in the short term?
If you transfer a task to another staff member, what will you take off THEIR plate so they have room to do their new task well?
Knowledge transfer. As communicators, we are often a walking, talking, tweeting encyclopedia of internal and external records, history and knowledge. Now is the time to get that out of your departing teammate’s brain and into someone else’s. Make a checklist that can serve as a to-do list, and after you’ve created your coverage plan, make sure all assigned task taker-over-ers (very official term) have time to ask questions and do tasks together. We are big fans of the “I do, we do, you do” model of training.
After They Depart
Reflect. While you may (or, giving room for it, may not) be bummed to lose this person, regardless, they just gave you a gift. The gift of reflection, continual improvement and of growth. You now have the opportunity to reimagine their position. Think through what they did that worked, how the job may have evolved since they started in it, and where your organization is headed in the future. Ask yourself what was successful about the role, think through where the role is positioned within the organization, and reflect on what may have been missing.
Then, my friends, it’s hiring time…next week we’ll plunge head first into hiring do’s and don’ts. Hiring the right fit takes time, so the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be.
And friends, I know this is a tough time, but you’re not alone. Everyone is going through this turnover churn right now—I promise if you peeked behind the curtain at the organization next to you, they are facing this challenge as well.
Not only that, but we’re here for you, and I promise we’ll get through it together!
PS - Find part two of our hiring series, along with our free resource, here!
