Recently, I received messages from two of my former workmates. They both had one request:
“Boss, can I come back?”
Now, if you’ve been in business in Zimbabwe or Zambia, you probably know this pattern. Someone comes to work on a Monday looking a bit quiet, by Wednesday they say they have a “terrible headache,” and by Friday boom a resignation letter appears!
They vanish without a proper handover, no goodbye, no thank you, not even a “keep my seat warm.”
** Leaving is Fine But How You Leave Matters**
There’s nothing wrong with moving on. Even footballers change teams that’s life. Growth sometimes means new fields. But what matters most is how you leave.
Don’t leave like Arnold Trent, the former Liverpool player who, after 9 loyal years, suddenly jumped to Real Madrid. Remember the reaction when he returned to Anfield? The boos, the cold stares, and even his former captain couldn’t hide the disappointment.
Why? Because loyalty and respect matter. How you exit determines if the door will ever open again.
** “What I Was Promised Is Not What I Got”**
When I asked one of them why he wanted to come back, he said,
“Boss, what I was promised is not what I got.”
The other one didn’t even want to explain. This is a classic case chasing the “greener pasture” only to realize it was artificial turf.
Sometimes what looks shiny on social media is just a filter. That new job might have higher pay but no peace, a bigger office but no respect, a fancy title but no freedom.
** Stay Where You’re Valued**
My dear young brothers and sisters, let me tell you this:
Don’t just go where you’re paid more go where you’re valued more. Don’t leave because someone promised you heaven check if they even own a ladder.
See how Neymar left Barcelona for PSG? Messi told him to stay. But he thought Paris had better opportunities. He went and the rest is history. Sometimes, the grass looks greener because it’s watered with your own tears.
** **
Leaving is not a crime. But burning bridges is. One day, you might need to cross that bridge again.
When you find a place that trains you, respects you, and helps you grow stay and build. Because loyalty might not trend online, but it pays better than any salary in the long run.
By The Chartered Vendor
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