The People Who Leave Get the Last Word: Revisiting a Question Ten Years Later | Ken Woodward #103

My daughter wanted an internship.

It was during the school year and it was far away, and she was going to find a way to make the trip every week anyway.

She had it half planned.

Then she ran into a senior who had done it before.

In one conversation, she learned what was left off the flyer.

Ten-hour days, getting yelled at over small things, being treated like she didn't count.

The dream was gone by the end of the hallway.

I wrote about that 10 years ago today, October 1st, 2016.

I thought it was a story about a bad internship.

Reading it now, it's a story about who gets to tell the truth about a place.

Long before this podcast, before The Dispatch, I had a daily practice called Inquiry of the Day or IOTD365.com.

Starting in April 2016, one question a day, answered in public.

I went back to see what I was asking on this date.

Here it is, the way I wrote it.

My daughter was intrigued by the possibility of an internship during the school year.

She was going to figure out a way to travel the distance each week and the dream began to take shape.

The dream dissipated when she bumped into a senior classmate who had done the internship.

The classmate explained the 10-hour days, getting berated for minor issues and living the life of a second-class citizen.

What do former members say about the organization? Those that left the team carry valuable insights about the ins and outs of how things work.

Is this insight sought out, gathered, reviewed, and archived? When does the archive get examined to determine if the change has occurred or if history is about to be repeated? Does leadership see the input as a valuable resource or is it ignored? What does your current team say about the organization? Does the annual climate survey input drive change or is it just to impress stakeholders? How does leadership pursue regular information and turn it into action? How is genuine sincerity and desire to serve expressed through the team? What do your customers say about the organization? People comprise the organization.

Real flesh and blood are making decisions, answering the phone after clients have navigated the labyrinth of phone menus and conduct house calls to repair the products.

Do the customers have the same realization or is the team just another conglomeration without a face? What do you say about the organization? What are the descriptors you use when talking to a neighbor as the kids play sports? Are you proud to state who you lock arms with each day? If many employees suffer the same trials as my daughter was about to endure, it is only a matter of time before major trouble is experienced and everyone suffers, the founders, employees, and customers.