can I leave now?

[Lightshines]

I have been in my current role for over 6 years, but have become increasingly unhappy over the past few months. I had decided that in the New Year I would begin looking for a new job and have actually already sent off an application for a post I saw advertised online via an agency.
However, I have come back to work to find that 2 of my staff have handed in their notices and will leave at the end of the month. My boss has tried to reassure me that these resignations are not due to me personally, as both the employees have long journeys to work. As we are only a staff of 4 (!), my leaving would create massive problems for the organisation.
I am torn between loyalty and the need to move on.
What should I consider in making my decision about whether to stay or go?

I think you have to maintain a degree of loyalty but don't use it as an excuse to never leave. I had a similar thing where I was in a role for 8 years and I convinced myself the place would grind to a halt without me. I eventually got so stressed that I finally handed in my notice and then moved to France for almost 2 years! The company is still there and so I guess they did manage without me after all! :)

Thanks, Alley. Its not that I think I am indispensible, I just know that as I am the office manager in a small place, it would create a lot of logistical problems if 3 out of 4 staff leave at once!

Now that two colleagues have left is there no chance for you to change your role a bit? take on some of the more interesting work they did? Create new projects for yourself out of the three jobs?

What is it about the job that makes you unhappy?

You are not leaving now though are you? You have applied for another job, but with interviews etc and then notice you will not be leaving at the same time as the other 2 members of staff - who presumably will be leaving in 4 weeks time.
You should continue to look and apply for jobs as you have already done so, and then evaluate any decision that needs to be made when you are offered another job.
Don't put your life on hold for other people - the two that are leaving have not thought about you have they?
Good luck in finding another role, sounds like you are ready for the move

As my dad uses to say 'there's no sentiment in business'. And I have learned the hard way!

If your reasons for leaving still exist then you should continue to look for a new job. How would you feel if someone you knew got your dream job and you were stuck in the same place because you didn't want to let your current employer down? Or you decided to move on in a few months once things got settled again but nothing suitable came up? You really need to do the right thing for you.

Thanks for all your helpful comments. I am unhappy because of a basic lack of structure in the organisation, which I have tried and tried over the years to rectify. I work for an elected committee of volunteers, none of whom have any particular business/committee/management skills, so we end up going round in circles, wasting time, being run by emotion (ironic given my OP, I know!).

It is true that the other staff leaving does give me some opportunity to start new projects, but the I feel totally demotivated and feel as if I have 'run out of steam' and consequently enthusiasm for the role.

As you have suggested, I think I do need to continue looking for something else and evaulate my position if/when I am offered another job.

If your organisation was struggling financially or in some organisational structure manner, they wouldn't think twice about letting you go (perhaps individual managers would, but they don't get to be the hire and fire decision maker alone).

Therefore you handing your notice should be just such a business decision based on your career goals, training needs, commuting needs, whatever.

Don't let anything else make such a black and white decision into a grey one.

Do what is best for you. If you can filter into that whatever is best for the organisation, that would be fab (giving them a month and half's notice, rather than a month, or whatever), that's great. But definitely a secondary factor.

Primarily, you need to do what is best for you. Just like your company would do, in any similar decision.