Someone on my Facebook page recently declared:
No one writes books about quitters.
First of all, that’s not at all true. Seth Godin wrote a book about quitters. It’s called “The Dip”. In business history, there have been several famous quitters who went on to launch some of the most innovative businesses in the world – people like Bill Gates, Ray Kroc, Howard Stern, Jeff Bezos and Michael Bloomberg.
Now in fairness to my Facebook friend, I’m sure the comment wasn’t meant to be taken literally. It was probably meant to encourage people to never give up. But here’s the problem…sometimes, you should give up.
Yes, it’s true. Sometimes you should give up and quit. And that’s a good thing.
More importantly, it might be a bad thing if you don’t. There might come a time in our personal or professional lives when the best option is to walk away. The important part is knowing when.
Some people walk away too soon. At the first sign of difficulty, they toss in the towel. This can leave people with the impression they’re not tough enough.
Some people quit too late. Yes, there is such a thing. They keep hoping change will occur so they stick around. Meanwhile, everyone else has seen the writing on the wall and made other plans.
Others don’t quit at all…and potentially get hurt in the process. They stay in bad situations because they don’t want to be called a “quitter” or they stick around out of loyalty.
Over the past few years, we’ve come a long way in embracing failure. It’s okay to fail at something and learn from the experience. It’s time we embrace quitting.
There are absolutely moments when quitting is the right thing to do. We shouldn’t tear people down by stigmatizing the important art of quitting. Figuring out the right reason and the appropriate moment to quit is harder than anyone realizes. But, we need to learn how.
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Doug Shaw says
Great stuff Sharlyn, I agree it is important sometimes to acknowledge the power of quitting. We can’t all be winners all the time and I think there’s something quite corrosive in the winners never quit approach. I like this quote on the subject of quitting:
‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it. – W.C. Fields’
I’m going to link to your post from one I wrote a while back about a personal tale of quitting. Here’s the link in case you and your readers fancy taking a look.
http://stopdoingdumbthingstocustomers.com/leadership/quitter/
Thanks – Doug
Sharlyn Lauby says
Hi Doug. Thanks for sharing. Love the quote!
Marge Pfleiderer says
Great points, Sharlyn. I would also add inertia to the list of reasons people don’t quit, along with fear of change. But there is nothing more empowering than allowing yourself to get out of a situation that is less than good for you. The hardest part is being able to honestly evaluate yourself and the situation. Thanks!
Marge
Betty McHale says
Good article. Thanks for sharing. I believe folks should consider leaving when they have contributed everything they are allowed to contribute and they are no longer being challenged, especially if they want to continue growing and developing themselves professionally. For example, many times we take jobs that we use as stepping stones to learn new skills that enable us to earn promotions or obtain better opportunities. When we become fully competent and there is no where else to go, it’s time to consider other options.
Another scenario for quitting is if you take a job and you realize later, for whatever reason, that it wasn’t a good fit. Do both the company and yourself a favor and look for another job. You will be glad you did later. Sometimes, employees take jobs they simply don’t have the aptitude or skills to be successful. “You can’t put in what was left out.”
Sharlyn Lauby says
@Marge – Great to hear from you! Totally agree. There’s something refreshing about letting go of a less than ideal situation.
@Betty – You’re right. Staying someplace too long can not only be bad for the person but the company. Thanks as always for sharing!
Carmen Fischer says
Great article it is in the nature of all human being to embrace change. Changes can bring an opportunity for growth I don’t think that quitting is a failure it is actually an opportunity that can open new doors in our lives
Sharlyn Lauby says
Hi Carmen. Thanks for the comment. I like thinking of it as a new opportunity.
Scott Simmerman says
There are so many sides to “quitting.” Some relate to disengaging and some relate to persisting when it no longer makes sense. It reminded me of this quote:
He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. Shun him.
He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child. Teach him.
He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep. Wake him.
He who knows, and knows that he knows, is a leader. Follow him.
(Attributed to Omar Khayam, 13th century Persian philosopher)
We all make decisions based on weighing considered alternatives and looking at past, present and future. In the workplace, we all have some level of decision-making available to us. The sad part of quitting is when people quit but keep “working.” I blog about a lot of these issues and share some statistics in a blog post called, Workplace Motivation – “I Quit! Nevermind. Whatever…”
You can bing or google the title and find it.
In many workplaces, management can simply choose to do some things differently; it’s simply of THEM not quitting on their people, I think.
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Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for sharing Scott. Love the quote!
Curtis Whitler says
Definitely there shouldn’t be fear or shame to quit the organization which can’t give you opportunities for growth and development, which doesn’t challenge you or teach something new. People who are brave enough to quit out of these reasons should be respected and probably taken as a model, as they strive for better and don’t stop when everything looks nice and smooth on the outside, but shallow on the inside.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment Curtis!