What should I do if my key senior executives wishes to change his job?

One of my key senior executives wishes to switch from a full time to a part time job ( two day a week ) as he intend to devote his life working as a non paid volunteer for a charitable organization and also taking care of his young children ( his wife has recently left him ). How can I keep him to work for my company

By making it easy for him to do, for now, as he wishes. Clearly the gentleman is already under great pressure to do several divergent tasks away from the office. Divorce, acquisition of children on a full time basis, his desire to be a non-paid volunteer add up to a mind numbing, and probably unachievable, set of goals.

It strikes me that beyond wanting to retain his services this is a person about whom you care. Giving him freedom now leaves the door open for his return later. He needs this time to discover what he believes he wants and then to discover that, in reality, he didn’t want all of it.

Offer to make a contribution-not necessarily monetary-to his volunteer position. Be interested in it, ask questions. Never let him become isolated from your group but leave him with his own self-defined territory. At some point he’ll discover that the work he did for you was interesting, the people he worked with were really friends…and he’ll miss that. It may be that he never returns on the basis that now exists but I should think the executive you’ll get back will be better informed and surer of himself…and of more use to both of you.

Time has wounded him. It is now only time that can cure the wound. And it lies with you to give him that time. We don’t usually notice our gratitude at first but always at last. And you’ll have his. Best of luck.