Many years ago, a software engineer on my team let me know that they had recently earned a cybersecurity certification, after studying on their own time and investing their own money. They explained that they’d really like to have a different job – one that would put them in a role advising other teams about security, rather than writing Java code to develop our products.
I really didn’t want to lose a team member. I wanted to keep them as a developer on my team. If I’m honest, when I look back I have to admit that I really didn’t put any effort into helping that team member pursue their goal.
But within a month, my boss told me that the company was growing, and we needed someone who could serve as a “security maven” to help our development teams develop more secure software. Because my boss asked directly, I told him about my team member who had recently earned their certification. They ended up becoming the company’s security maven.
I lost a team member.
And I had no idea how lucky I was. Not until years later.
After we had both left the company, I was talking to that team member and I learned that they had been searching outside of the company for a new position. In hindsight, I realize I should have expected that. But I didn’t.
If my boss hadn’t said they were looking for a security maven, I probably would have lost that team member anyway, and I would have lost the relationship, too, due to my lack of support.
When you have a team member who is looking for something different, don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll keep them on your team by restricting their opportunities. When you care enough about your team members to support their ambitions, even when it means losing them to neighboring departments, you’ll build strong relationships that help all of you succeed.
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