I originally wrote this as advice to a friend who was dealing with a difficult departure. I have adapted that message for this blog.

When people leave or partnerships end, they often send a message that can affect the rest of the team.

You might not like them mentioning certain things. But imagine your organization, startup, or whatever else grows bigger, as you want it to, and you are collaborating with multiple organizations. This will happen more. People will join, people will leave. Collaborations will form, and collaborations will end.

Then, you will get more messages like this. That is not a bad thing. It is good that they inform the people they were in contact with. If someone does not inform them, either they were irrelevant or, if they were not, it leaves others confused. Those who remain will not feel valued if anyone can just disappear at any time.

If you think their message can cause doubt among others, it is your responsibility as a leader to build trust in them. Maybe it will also lead to some good democratic discussion. Other people might have the same concerns. So, if a discussion does happen, you will get a chance to explain things to them and plan ahead.

I wish you all the best.