Let others do their jobs

I’ve had many transitions in my career; points in time where my job shifts a bit and I now get to do something new.  Doing something new also generally means no longer doing something old though, and this can be tough.  Tough, because you’re used to doing it.  Tough, because everyone knows YOU do it.  Tough, because you don’t think someone else can.

Letting go of those things is hard, but it’s also important to our own development, and maybe more importantly, for others to develop.  If we never let go of the things we used to do, the things that we’ve grown out of, we’re essentially cheating others out of the same opportunity we had to learn those skills.  If we step in and keep doing the same work we used to do, not only are we spending our time in an area that won’t help us grow, we deny others their chance to grow.

I’m not saying we don’t help someone who’s taken over an old role.  We certainly need to help set them up for success by giving them support, teaching them the ropes etc.  What we want to be careful of, however, is continuing to do that job even after we’ve moved on.  In addition to preventing them from learning, we also distract ourselves from our new role.  There’s only so much time, and any minute spent on the old role is one less spent on the new one.

I see this frequently happen when a new ticketing system and team comes online.  The group that used to do the work doesn’t want to let go.  They’re concerned the new system won’t track everything, or that the new team won’t be up to snuff.  There’s almost always SOME amount of disconnect as the new team comes online, but those aren’t just negative experiences.  They’re also opportunities for the new team to learn how to improve.  Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn, and allowing others to make them is beneficial in the long term.

I’ve found that focusing on the new work, and checking in regularly with my replacement, is a great balance between the two.  This allows me to excel in my new area, but also keeps a communication channel open in case something is needed.  This helps build a strong relationship that makes the transfer more seamless, and easier, than if I stayed entirely involved.