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Sooner or later, most of us face a resignation. Resigning
is never easy, especially when you've worked at a position
for several years, and have become part of a team. Some employers
and coworkers take it personally and accuse you of abandoning
ship. However, handling your resignation as professionally
and thoughtfully as you handle your search for a new job can
help make your resignation relatively smooth and amicable.
KEEP RESIGNATIONS SHORT, SIMPLE AND POSITIVE
Leave your employer on a positive note. Your moving on
does not have to be a time for long faces. After all, you
have just won an opportunity to advance, an opportunity for
which you owe your employer sincere thanks. Thank your colleagues,
too, for their help in preparing you to move onward and upward.
If you have given your best to the job, you will be missed
- especially by those inconvenienced by your leaving! Let
them know that you intend to assist them in whatever ways
you can. By showing your boss and firm due respect, you encourage
future support you may someday need.
When you resign, keep your conversations simple and concise.
The more you say, the more questions you may have to answer.
Avoid lengthy discussion about your new opportunity with your
old employer. Typically, your resignation creates extra work
for others.
Chances are, your boss will be caught off-guard by your resignation,
and will not be able to listen clearly to your explanations
due to concerns about the sudden challenge your leaving presents.
Because your boss is losing a valued employee and your leaving
may create more work for him, he or she may express negative
opinions about your new firm or position. This will only confuse
you. You may find yourself having to justify your personal
goals and decisions or absorb the personal frustrations of
others. If you're dealing with volatile or vindictive personalities,
it may be best to avoid revealing where you will be going.
If you feel you may face a hostile atmosphere, resign at
the end of your workday so that you are no longer on company
time and are in control of your schedule. Try to schedule
any discussions for the following morning when everyone can
face your departure after time to absorb and reflect on the
news. If you have to defend yourself at this first meeting,
or if things begin to get out of control, ask to re-schedule
the meeting for a more appropriate time.
THE ORAL RESIGNATION
Resigning orally may place you in the compromising position
of having to explain your decision on the spot. Words are
powerfully charged when you reveal a decision which has such
an impact on your organization. Choose your words with care.
Your boss may want to probe for factors which led to your
decision. You may be asked who or what is the reason for your
leaving, or may be invited to offer suggestions to help make
the organization more effective. If you have had a close relationship
with your boss, you may feel obliged to answer candidly.
Don't fall for this trap! Use your head and don't discuss
personal, heartfelt matters with your organization - they
may eventually be used against you. At this point you are
no longer considered a team player, nor viewed as having the
company's best interest at heart.
Too often, resigning employees come to regret their comments
when they are misinterpreted or exaggerated in the re-telling.
Constructive criticism is no longer your responsibility, and
carries a high cost which could jeopardize your good references.
Instead, offer sincere praise for the firm and those with
whom you worked. Prepare yourself beforehand by focusing on
several positive aspects of your workplace, and mention them
liberally when the opportunity arises. Even if favorite aspects
were, say, the great lunches, or humorous stories told over
coffee, better to mention such things than to harp on disappointments
or shortcomings. (These, you are addressing by moving on to
greener pastures.) You want to be perceived as a positive,
constructive individual in forward motion. People will remember
your last impression. Make it your best performance.
You may want to tell your boss something like: "I need
to discuss something with you if you have a moment. I've been
made an exceptional offer by another firm, and I've decided
to accept it. My wife and I have given this opportunity a
lot of thought. As much as I'd like to advance within this
company, we feel the new opportunity is in our best long-term
interest. We deeply appreciate all you and the firm have done
for me here. I don't think I would have been presented this
exceptional opportunity if not for your support and leadership.
I want to thank you. I hope I can leave with your good wishes.
You've been a friend as well as a boss."
If probed for more information, you may want to claim that
there is nothing else to say right now. Simply communicate
that you are leaving a good opportunity for an even better
one that suits your aspirations.
THE WRITTEN RESIGNATION
Written resignations give you the time to effectively prepare
what you wish to communicate, and give you greater control
over your delivery of the message. You can't be thrown off-track
by an unexpected remark as can happen during a confrontational
conversation. A written resignation also reinforces the fact
that you are really leaving and are not simply threatening
in order to re-negotiate your position. Also, there is something
permanent about the written word that often circumvents interrogation.
Under no circumstance should you state any dissatisfaction
with the firm or individuals. Not only is it good manners
to stress the positive when leaving, but items in your personnel
file may long outlast the individuals and circumstances responsible
for your dissatisfaction. You never know when your path will
cross those of your former colleagues.
To keep your resignation short, simple, and positive, you
may want to write something like: "I want to thank you
for all you have done for me here at [Company]. It has been
a pleasure working with you, and representing the company
as your [job title]. I have accepted an offer with another
firm and have decided to tender my resignation as of today.
This decision has nothing to do with the exceptional opportunity
you have provided for me here. You and the company have been
more than fair with me, and I genuinely appreciate all your
support. I wish [Company] continued success, and I want to
thank you for allowing me to be a part of your team. Please
feel free to contact me at any time if I can be of further
assistance in helping with a smooth transition."
Letters get filed and passed around to explain what happened,
reducing the call for endless orations on the same subject.
They also dispel any perceived ambivalence in your behavior
during this delicate time.
THE COUNTEROFFER
Surveys show that eight out of ten employees who accept counteroffers
don't complete the following year with their employer. Why
shun counteroffers? Because the factors that caused you to
seek or entertain a better offer are likely to remain in force.
Beside which, your current employer will probably lose trust
in your loyalty.
Accepting a counteroffer may permanently damage your reputation
with your would-be-employer. Your prospective new colleagues
may conclude that you were merely using them to gain leverage;
you weren't in earnest as a candidate. Never underestimate
the value of your perceived integrity in this situation.
The best response to a counteroffer is to listen politely,
perhaps even sleep on it, but decline. If your current firm
denied you advancement before you secured an outside offer,
it will probably thwart you next time you feel ready to advance.
What's more, your firm may start looking to replace you the
day you accept the counteroffer. Your plans for leaving may
not be forgotten!
LEAVE ON THE RIGHT NOTE
Before leaving the firm, take time to speak with each of your
support staff, peers, executive personnel, and others with
whom you've worked. To the extent practical, clear up any
unfinished business. Be sensitive to others' reactions and
keep your conversations positive and constructive.
Some people may naturally express their own discontentment,
and may egg you on to agree with them. Don't! Instead, express
your appreciation and tell your colleagues you'll miss them.
A little time spent nurturing relationships before leaving
for your new job will go a long way to build support for your
future.
Also keep in mind that it is professional courtesy to give
your employer ample notice to help them prepare for your departure
- typically, 2 weeks. However, you should try to get out as
soon as possible to avoid recurring invitations to tell your
story, and to avoid having to deal with the frustrations and
pressures at the job as the firm adjusts to your leaving.
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