People quit people

Will this person manage me well?It’s been said a thousand times, so my saying it one more time won’t hurt. In fact, it may help.

People don’t quit jobs. People quit people.

Why do I mention this, today?

Maybe because I’ve been noticing a recurrent theme in some recent articles and blog postings. The theme that us older folk to really don’t understand how to manage these next few generations coming into the workforce.

I don’t think those articles are wrong. At all. They just gave me pause.

And they reminded me that, “People don’t quit jobs. People quit people.”

And then they go on and do exactly the same job, for different people. And if those people screw up, then the cycle starts all over again. And again. And again.

So, maybe, the next time you’re looking to move on, you can focus on the people with whom you want to work. Rather than the job.

And maybe if you’re running a company, you should spend some time focusing on the people, rather than the task.

Just a thought.

About Rick Turoczy

More than mildly obsessed with the Portland startup community. Founder and editor at Silicon Florist. Cofounder and general manager at PIE. Follow me on Twitter: @turoczy
This entry was posted in Leadership, Management, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

5 Responses to People quit people

  1. Josh Pyles says:

    Interesting thoughts… It really is true though. The atmosphere in your work environment really affects how you work, and one of the key ingredients in your environment are the people you work for and with.

  2. Peat says:

    I agree — perks and money only go so far, but lasting satisfaction comes from working with the right folks.

    Steve Yegge had an interesting post a while back about managing software developers. Worth reading.
    http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/05/not-managing-software-developers.html

  3. Rick Turoczy says:

    @Peat Thanks for the link! Great read.

  4. Amybeth says:

    Always a good read from you Rick. This is very true, and I could not agree more that people who are job seeking should spend some time getting to know the culture of the company. If you don’t feel ‘comfortable’ with the other employees, then it’s probably not the right job for you, even if the job function itself seems perfect. It’s the people who create the atmosphere. Keep in mind that you’ll be spending at least 1/3 of your time every work day with these folks!!

    BY THE WAY….Rick I wanted to inform you that you’ve been tagged!
    http://spiresearch.blogspot.com/2007/07/eight-things-you-might-not-have-wanted.html

  5. Michel says:

    it is absolutely true.
    Quitting the job is not most ppl look for, but rather they want to have a different environment

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