Depart Art : 10-Steps to Leave Well

As you leave your position with your current company and move forward to your next chapter, there are 10 Steps to consider to kindly remove yourself from the organization.?

Step 1: Thank You + Notice

• Be respectful. Especially if there is nothing your boss can do to keep you, come in with that energy. Explain that you’ve decided to make a career change and while it was a hard decision, your last day will be X.?
• If you think your manager is going to have a big reaction, check out this post that summarizes a Harvard Business Review Article on the topic. This could definitely help your planning.?
• Regardless, I like to default that the person I am with is trying their best. In that, if your boss was terrible - they were still trying their best. You can only see your relationship from your point of view and, likely, there is someone else out there that could be a better fit for your role.
• A copy of my resignation letter can be found here . Feel free to use this as a template.

Step 2: Manager Support & Guidance

• Asking your manager how you should proceed will help them understand that you care, you are leaving for your career growth, and you have the self-awareness to solidify the relationships you’ve built. Additionally, it’ll make them feel heard and valued during this transition.?
• When I left Stanford, I knew it was going to be hard. Hard for me and harder for my team. I wanted to ensure that I left them the best way I could with as much information and preparation as possible. Getting my managers support early on was very beneficial to everyone within my sphere of influence.?

Step 3: Gratitude Tour

• Reaching out individually to your stakeholders and giving them the information about your departure before a bigger announcement goes a long way. Thanking them for their time and asking for their guidance on how they want to handle the overflow of work supports your growth and the needs of the team.?
• Your sponsors, they will likely be happy for you. Show them that you couldn’t get to where you are without their support. If possible, suggest a plan to transfer your project/initiatives and gain their insight. Utilize them as a thought partner to see how you should divvy up specific initiatives.
• Your mentors and mentees have probably played a part in this decision for you. If you’re mentor, explain to your mentee that this isn’t the end and they can always reach out to you outside of the formal company program. If you’re a mentee, your mentor likely already knows what’s going on and may have been a huge player in your job search. Be sure to thank them for everything they have done, the time

Step 4: The big announcement

• Your manager should already have a plan in place but if not, ask them about an announcement. The goal here is to ensure your colleagues know you’re leaving. The worst thing, according to one of my amazing mentors, is having someone reach out to you and getting an auto-response that you’re not longer with the company.?
• Instead, ensure at least a team announcement is sent by your boss. From there, you can forward it along with a personal note to each team or department you work with. This way, people expect it and have time to reach out to you with questions or concerns.?
• Announcement: This is as much you as it is them. I sent a video along with a letter from my boss showing my gratitude to the people on our team and adding candor to the space. You can do it any way you'd like and you can share as much as you'd like. Note: If you'd like to stay connected, tell them how to stay connected with you. E.g. LinkedIn, Email, etc.
• Timeline: If you’ve given only 2 weeks notice, try to have this step done by the first week. If you’ve given more, I’d recommend this announcement happen before the 2 week mark to ensure enough time (depending on your organization). For example, I gave 3.5 weeks at Stanford. The Monday when the 2 weeks started my boss’ announcement went out.?

Step 5: Prepare your colleagues

• If someone has already been hired or contracted to replace you, train them. If your manager has already drafted a plan, partner on it with them. If neither, delegate your essential responsibilities for the next few months (or the average time to hire at your organization).
• Part of this delegation is teaching your colleagues the ins and outs of specific tasks, tactics, and strategy. This can be cumbersome, only prep them for what is necessary. The goal here is to give them a solid foundation without overwhelming them.?

Step 6: Goodbye Tour

• Now that your stakeholders and immediate colleagues are aware of your departure, reach out to your other colleagues and schedule some time with them. Take this time to thank them and, if appropriate, ask them for a recommendation letter. This could be an easy ping on LinkedIn or something more formal, especially if you’re going back to school etc.?
• Personally, I met with ~20 close colleagues over my 3.5 weeks notice. They were all very supportive and asked really good questions that framed my ‘Step 8:Wrap Up’.?
• You can think outside the box here, I met with those who informed my decision to take a growth opportunity, current colleagues, and those who I was close with in my last role at the organization. Possibilities are endless and understanding different perspectives, especially how others view your decision can support your understanding of the organization and frame your next steps.?

Step 7: Network Sourcing

• Use your network to back-fill yourself. I know it sounds weird but by the date I was leaving I had 3 candidates stoked about the position. 1 internal to the function of the organization, 1 internal to the greater organization, and 1 external who I had worked with previously.?
• In this step, try your best to set up your organization to succeed and your legacy / initiatives to continue. Anyone whom you know who would make a great addition to the team and help kick-start the recruiting process.
• A great way to do this is post about your departure before you leave on LinkedIn. You can see mine here . Feel free to use this as a template.

Step 8: Wrap Up?

• I mean it, tie it with a bow. Create a document/presentation either for you and your portfolio or to share with the team. Have you looked back on your career at a job you did 10 years ago and have no idea what you actually accomplished? Yeah... lets leave that in the past and create a highlight reel for your future self and your back-fill. This document / presentation should review:

1. Major initiatives you lead or supported?
2. Where it started (Debut/where it was when you joined)
3. Where it is now (Current state)
4. How it’s going (Current state)
5. What you think may happen in the future based on the information gathered (Future state)
6. Stop / Start / Continue (Future state) - What should your colleagues do with this information? What would you do? Give them some context here, a little goes a long way.

• When my boss asked me to create a presentation reviewing the impact our team had made with the organization, I was ecstatic. This was a great ending and culmination of all the hours I’d put in. I ended up turning the information into a presentation and recording.?(Think Drake, “started from the bottom now we here.”) If you'd like to see an example, reach out to me directly.

Step 9: Reflect

• You’ve done it all. Literally. Take a break.?Take a moment to reflect on this major life decision, be present, soak it all in.?

Step 10: Bounce

• Feel good about how you left this organization, you did everything in your power as an employee to ensure a smooth transition. Enjoy the break in between roles and start preparing for your next adventure!

Things to consider:

I am only one data point. While I am a practitioner and researcher in this space, this is the method I used after accepting an offer and looking to leave an organization I was with for nearly a decade.

It may not work for you nor do you have to do everything in order. It's the way it worked best for me - I encourage you to make this work for you, whatever way you see fit. This is your time and your accomplishment. You are not required (HR -wise in California, USA) to do anything besides give notice.

As one of my mentors once said, "take the meat and throw the bone away." In that, take from this what you need and let the rest fall to the wayside.

If you think believe there is an opportunity for improvement or you'd like to collaborate, I'm always looking to learn new things, shift my perspective, and meet new people. Reach out anytime!

Of note: This is my experience and thoughts alone, this post does not reflect the opinions of my colleagues or employer(s).