I recently wrote a post here on Work It, Mom about leaving employers respectfully and I received many comments from kindred readers.
Jen wisely commented, “…even if the bridge is on fire, I usually try my best to put it out, so that some part of our working relationship can be salvaged.”
Nataly commented quite wisely, “…it’s not worth it.”
TrishK let us know that she is going to be missed by co-workers she didn’t know existed.
Elle left the funniest comment ever which you just need to read for yourself. While I totally disagree with the way her colleague resigned I can name one person I would have loved to have done that to in my career.
Today I ran across an article via Lifehacker about crafting a graceful resignation.
You will definitely want to take the time to read the article. Whether or not you have plans to resign a current position, the article has useful advice. Some of my favorites (completely paraphrased and in no particular order):
- Practice makes perfect: rehearsing for the how you will tell your boss you are resigning is never a bad idea.
- Think long and hard about accepting a counter-offer from your employer.
- Watch out for the boss that has to own every decision. Including when you leave.
- Related to number 3, be prepared to leave sooner rather than later.
- Watch what you say to co-workers after your resignation has been formally announced. You want to protect your professional reputation with everybody, not just management.
What is one piece of advice you would give someone that is planning to resign from their position?
(FUN GAME ALERT: The title of this post is paraphrased from a book that I consider to be one of my all-time favorites. If you can tell me the book title and author you will win a special place in my heart.)
I will email you the book title and author because I am the first commenter.
I can’t speak for the trees, but I can tell you that my official party line when leaving any form of employment for any reason it, “Pursuing other opportunities.”
“Nuff said.
jcreer | August 15th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I dunno, there’s something wholely therapeutic about letting him have it with both barrels as you walk out the door. I’ve done the whole it’s not worth it to burn the bridge, but it was hard to get out of my system. Mind you, it has to be a pretty bad boss for me to let him have it, but this one guy really, really deserved it. He was my editor in chief, he had no talent and lied about the technology sections he covered pretending that he knew about them. He knew I knew he was full of it as I DID understand the sections he covered. So he decided to force me out. He’d never tell me about meetings, then send a note and CC it to HR that I missed the meeting and could have cost them an advertiser, he’d try to get me to plagarize, he told me “this meeting is for me to talk and for you to shut up and sit there.” Nice huh? I was 25 and took it because I didn’t know any better. Finally I quit and on my last day, he had me sit down and go over my phone records and ask me to explain all the 1-2 minute personal calls that were over two years old. There was nothing out of the ordinary, he just wanted me to go through each call, any call, line by line. Of course, no one else had to do this. And it was my last day. So I told him he was a sick SOB and I don’t know how your wife can sleep with you at night! and walked out the door. He was fired not long after that. So I may have burned that bridge, but it hasn’t come back to haunt me, and frankly he set it on fire first. So OK, on the whole, yes don’t burn bridges, but every once in awhile, it might be worth it to let him have it.
Irish girl | August 16th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I left my job a month ago and I was quite determined, in this case, to burn my bridges.
I have worked for two organisations (including this one) that later invited me back after resigning the first time (and I foolishly went back). In both cases I realised that ‘going back’ is not always a good thing
This time I wanted to make sure that there was no possibility of repeating history. In my exit interview I was polite but honest with my boss. In fact he asked me some very specific questions regarding my views on certain things, and by the end of the interview he was also admitting his job sucked as well and he too wanted to leave.
I don’t think burning bridges has to be aggressive, but if you really want to move forward it might be good to start them smouldering a little.
Caitlin | August 16th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Why, The Lorax, of course.
sheryl | August 16th, 2007 at 7:21 pm