The drilling industry focuses primarily on discovering the unknown. That unknown could range from why a drilling formation changes to why a deep-set line shaft failed. But, if our livelihood is built on working with unknowns, why do we seem blindsided when an employee leaves our company? How often do we hear, “I have no idea why he left,” or “she worked a couple of months and then put in her notice without any signs”?
As an industry, we struggle to recruit, hire and inspire a new, younger workforce. Once hired, employees rarely leave because of the work; they leave the leadership. Ironically enough, the leadership’s vision is what the company becomes. Eventually, poor leaders with no vision allow good employees to leave.