The BIPOC Manager #36 - Making A Strategic Exit, with Camille Isaacs Morell

Making a Strategic Exit
We’ve been there.
The moment you realize the job you wanted isn’t what it was supposed to be.
Or when you notice that the positivity and support shown during the hiring process has been replaced with disrespect and humiliation.
And despite the mantra to power through adversity, making a strategic exit can often be the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.
In this episode, Camille Isaacs Morell unpacks the intricacies of making a strategic exit, particularly highlighting its significance for BIPOC professionals facing unique challenges in the workplace.
Like any career move, making a strategic exit requires careful planning, especially in situations where conditions for success are not met or there's a mismatch in values and culture. Professionalism, grace, and integrity are crucial during this process.
Key points she emphasizes include:
• Understanding the reasons for your exit: Camille suggests conducting deep reflection to understand the root causes of dissatisfaction or frustration in the current role. This clarity helps in articulating reasons for departure consistently and professionally.
• Avoiding personalization: When explaining reasons for leaving, Camille advises against laying blame on individuals or personalizing grievances. Instead, she suggests framing the departure as a natural progression or a desire for new challenges.
• Handling counteroffers from your employer: Camille warns against accepting counteroffers from the current employer, highlighting the pitfalls of tokenism and the importance of maintaining integrity in career decisions. She encourages BIPOC professionals to remain steadfast in their decision to move on.
• Protecting your professional reputation: Camille stresses the importance of maintaining a positive reputation throughout the exit process. She advises against burning bridges and suggests showing kindness even in challenging situations. By leaving on positive terms, professionals can preserve their reputation and foster goodwill within their professional networks.
• Discreet job search and networking: While planning their next career move, Camille recommends enhancing online profiles discreetly and avoiding networking with current or past colleagues. Consistency in reasons for leaving and professionalism in interactions are crucial during this phase.
With a wealth of experience spanning various sectors, Camille offers practical advice and strategies for BIPOC professionals to navigate career transitions effectively, ensuring their continued success and growth in the workplace.
Bio: Camille Isaacs Morell is a business leader, volunteer, and artist, who uses her talents to help people and organizations be better and do better. Most of her career was spent in the Foreign Service in Jamaica and in the corporate sector in Canada (Standard Life Assurance Company and McKesson Canada). She switched over to the non-profit sector, where she was Executive Director of the Alzheimer Society of Montreal and now as Vice-President, Hope for Dementia. She is a volunteer and has served as a board member of organizations that support better health, women and girls and marginalized persons.
Linkedin: / camilleisaacsmorell
Website: camilleisaacsm...