I recently read The Alliance, which was co-authored by Reid Hoffman (founder of Linkedin). In the book, the concept of employees taking a ‘tour of duty’ at their job was articulated as the best way to maximize the employee and employer relationship in this new age of the workforce. 

Back in the 50s and 60s, there was an expectation that you find a job and stay there for your career. Both the employer and employee bought into this mindset and as a result, both thought more long-term.

Now days employees have a much shorter view of their time at their employer. This is especially true in competitive work environments where there are lots of career options for employees to choose from.

The idea of an employee taking a tour of duty with a company is focused on establishing a short-term (1 to 2 years) goal where the employee is willing to invest their time, skills, and passion to achieve a personal goal such as growing a specific skill set or solving an interesting problem while their work results in significant value  for the business.

The employer wins because they get a highly engaged employee committing to a specific project or strategic initiative for the business while the employee wins by achieving a personal goal that is important for their career.

Once a tour of duty has been completed, perhaps the employee takes on a new tour of duty at the company in a new business unit or a new strategic project. It may seem counterintuitive, but I believe it’s in the best interest for both the employee and the manager to have an open conversation about the employee’s career path even when that path may lead to leaving the company. The reality is, an employee may leave your company regardless but at least you have the right of first conversation.