What can we do to keep you?

Resignation letters have a strange power.

They can open the minds of those that receive them to options that were previously deemed to be closed.?

You will only wield this power occasionally in your career.?

But unfortunately, most professionals aren’t prepared to use this power effectively when the time comes.??

Here’s how to unlock the power of resignation letters.?

The power of a resignation letter

A resignation letter signals to management the hard reality that you will soon leave the company.?

Your departure will have an impact on the organisation, especially if you’re good at what you do.?

So the power that comes from a resignation letter is that it reveals management’s true assessment of your place in the company.?

Every assurance, expectation and promise that management made beforehand must now stand up against the prospect of you leaving.

Basically, it gives you the power to make management walk the talk.?

Why a resignation letter matters

If you want to advance your career, especially in your 20s & 30s, you should have an active awareness of your opportunity set.?

This will help you understand when your current role isn’t best serving you.?

When you have this realisation, you’ll first approach management about your prospects.?

You may want better pay and conditions.?

Or access to learning and development.

Or a vision for internal advancement.?

Your manager will consider your approach and may address your requests, but they may not be inclined to make something happen.?

This is because you are much more motivated than they are to make a change.?

This imbalance can go on indefinitely, until something happens to align motivations.?

And that’s where the resignation letter comes in.?

Timing and mindset are critical

Let’s face it.

A resignation letter only has power because it’s used when you’ve definitely decided to leave (and most likely have another job lined up).?

You shouldn’t use a resignation letter as a bargaining chip or as a way to force an ultimatum.?

Rather, it represents your acceptance that your desired career path seems unfeasible where you are, and that you aren’t willing to stay longer to see if it will become so.?

But therein lies the opportunity.

It’s because you’re freed from the constraints of your current role that everyone suddenly becomes open to what’s possible.

And just because you’ve decided to move on, you shouldn’t close the door fully on your employer - especially because your employer will be most primed at this moment to make something happen.?

Be prepared for this question

When you hand in your resignation letter, don’t be surprised if you’re asked:

What can we do to keep you??

This is even if you’ve raised this prospect with management before and no progress was made.?

Your resignation will cause management to make a decision, and retaining you could suddenly be much higher on their list than it was before.?

Before resigning, make sure you are clear on your reasons for wanting to leave the organisation, and also what you would need to stay with the organisation.?

Then approach the negotiation in good faith, as you’re trying to achieve a deal that’s beneficial to both parties.?

This will help you make a decision that’s true to you.?

What about a competing offer?

As I said before, most professionals resign when they have another job lined up.?

This is the reason that many professionals don’t fully appreciate the power that comes with resigning, and a failure to understand that employers become highly motivated at this point to retain people.?

While the security of another job may give you the confidence to resign, it can close yourself off to whatever management may have been prepared to offer in response.?

Therefore, it may be worthwhile to let your employer know you are fielding other options before you fully commit to another role.?

The example I give to clients I coach is to think of your favourite sport and imagine you’re a star player.?

A player that teams want to build a franchise around.?

To do this, you want to be on the right team.?

But you wouldn’t close the door on your current team if they could rise above other teams that want you too.?

So if you’ve reached an impasse with your current team that’s caused you to look at other teams, don’t make a commitment until you’re aware of the best opportunity (which may still be the team you’re currently on).?

This approach to career advancement is uncommon with professionals, especially those in their 20s & 30s who may not believe they have sufficient value for leverage in these discussions (when they really do).

This is where a Career Coach can really help. So if you’re thinking of your next career step, please reach out as I’d love to help wherever I can.

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