How you say goodbye says everything about your organization.

Last week the conclusion to Game 5 of the NBA Finals provided a highly talked about moment. In the post-game press conference the Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers breaks down discussing the injury to his star player Kevin Durant. It was all over ESPN the following day and he was often met with criticism for showing such emotion.

It has been pretty well assumed that this year would be Durant’s last in the Bay Area. While he has a player option for the 2019-2020 season, virtually everyone “knows“ he is going to move on after this past season. The only question being where. This is why the emotions displayed by Myers was significant. It wasn’t about the fact that his loss would hamper the Warriors attempt at a 3-peat – because it would - it was because they had a close relationship and he genuinely cares about him. Think about it. Here is one of the top players in the world that is likely to leave your organization, one that has been so ridiculously successful the past half-decade and one that can offer him more money than any other team. And yet he is sad for Durant – not himself or the organization. That says a lot about someone as a leader.

The reason this press conference was so intriguing to me is that in the past month two good friends of mine left the organizations they worked at for new opportunities – and their departures were much different. Treated poorly from the time they put their notice in, it concluded with their last day passing without a goodbye from the leaders at their companies. Can you imagine putting years and years into a company to have your final days conclude that way? How do you think the others in the company will react to that treatment? If these key people are treated that way upon their departure how do they feel about me? Am I just a body in a desk? And why am I still here?

When key people leave they create holes in your organization. It’s tough, but it does create new opportunities for other team members, and more so one should be happy for your past employees continuing to chase their dreams. If you own the company, or are an employee that was ascended to the level that achieves your goals that is great. You are living your dream. So why not be happy for others trying to do the same for themselves? Sometimes your organization can’t provide an employee with what they need to achieve their goals and dreams. Other times you can, but a log jam of talent lining up for that position makes the timeliness of when it can happen far off. And sometimes employees leave to simply avoid dysfunction.

Think about the contrast. In one case emotions poured out as an employee gets hurt and likely will never play for that team again. The emotions revolved not around the future, but the past. A thank you for three years of service that resulted in unparalleled success for their team – including two Championships. In the other cases the focus was on the future - forgetting the past which brought high levels of performance and success. Rather selfishness and pettiness took over and all the great years they provided their organization(s) are dismissed and their last days go by not only without fanfare and a good-bye party but without a good-bye at all.

Which leads to these questions:

1. Which organization(s) would you want to work for?

2. Which organization(s) do you think is more successful?

Why are Food Hall concepts so hot and Food Court concepts so… not?

Few things in the built environment have been as much a craze in the past couple years as the food hall. I mean what’s not to like? Multiple small format eateries with a common seating area so your group can all get food at different places and yet all eat together. Wait, isn’t a food court a collection of small format eateries with a common seating area also? And don’t people generally loathe the mall food court? So why is one so hot and the other completely… not?

Last summer my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting the Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal. And as expected it was a great experience. The pastel de nata alone would have been enough to endure the 10 hour flight from Atlanta for, but then there were premium meats, seafood and of course wine and beer. Ironically, no line was longer than the outpost selling American burgers. Yet I have no desire to visit and dine at a mall food court. So why is that? Time Out Lisboa is housed in a building which has been throughout its history used as a market, first opening in 1882. The redesign is simplistic yet hip and modern. All the signage is black with white letters and wood tables and high-bay lighting fill the central seating area. Really nothing to extraordinary but yet it feels right. So one ingredient seems to be the design aspect of the space. Food courts are often dark with low ceilings and a generic design to create a blank slate for its tenants. Literally almost the opposite of what we are finding in food halls.

The second ingredient is the food selection itself. Certainly more upscale in general, but not without recognizable brands that have other locations – such as where we bought those delicious little Portuguese custard gems. This ties in though with the “foodie” trend sweeping across the US in general. It needs to be more of a destination, not just another spot to get chinese buffet or a slice of pizza under a heat lamp. Additionally, kiosks in the market also provide an area for things such as cooking classes, fresh flowers and other local items.

It seems the recipe is one part design and one part food selection. So what can a mall owner do to bring life into their food court? First a separate entrance to directly access the area is important. This is becoming quite common in US malls already and might be flanked by outward facing full-service restaurants. Secondly, working with your designer to create an authentic ambiance. It can’t feel like a mall inside. This will be the biggest challenge from what is all-to-common in American architecture – soulless generic spaces that don’t offend you, but don’t WOW you either. Many of these European food halls reside in old structures with plenty of character not found in today’s buildings. So getting this piece right is essential. And lastly it is reworking the tenant mix to include more local flavors from local chefs. That isn’t to say that the more traditional chains need to entirely go away, but tweak the balance between the two and at lease renewal require an “upgraded” version of their traditional design palette and menu.

As our malls evolve to include more experiential aspects and familiar names such as Gymboree, GAP and Toys R Us give way to previously online only retailers Indochino, Casper and eyebobs – the next phase is rethinking the food court. The recipe above illustrates the bones are already there and the transformation to a more hip food hall is maybe just a spirited design away.