How To Tell Your Manager You’re Quitting Without Burning A Bridge

One always joins a company with the motivation of staying for a significant period, making the most out of their time, and creating a learning experience. However, there comes the point when you may feel the need to come out of your comfort zone and try something new. Perhaps move onto a new organization. But how to tell your boss you’re quitting? How do you not offend your employer if you have no idea what to say? Being professional when resigning, serving your notice, and applying for a job are all equally important.

Employers have a long memory, so they are very unlikely to re-hire someone who caused unrest or annoyance during their final days on the job. But the real problem is that you would want to maintain your good reputation. People should look back on your time at the company with fondness and appreciation for all your accomplishments. Don’t burn your bridges as we frequently hear, and it is especially important to remember when you are unsure how to tell your boss you’re leaving. You should make sure that you leave the company in a professional manner because you never know what the future holds, and you might run into your boss or former coworkers again. Humans tend to recall your last impression over your initial one.

How to Tell Your Boss You’re Quitting: Pro Tips to Remember

The modern world is constantly evolving, and even though the nature of work is changing more than ever, navigating change still necessitates the assistance of others. Change of any kind is disruptive. Therefore, it makes sense that your boss would have inquiries when you decide to pursue a new opportunity. Instead of worrying too much regarding how to tell your boss you’re quitting, one should put in the right amount of effort to ensure they get their message across without offending them.

Growth Mindset

Growth comes when you’re open to change. That implies that you’ve already committed to developing and stepping outside of your comfort zone. It’s not about how to tell your boss you’re quitting anymore. By making this choice, you’ve taken a step toward realizing your full potential. It’s crucial to keep your purpose in mind when you’re feeling nervous about saying “I’m quitting” to someone. Ideally, your boss will acknowledge your adopted growth mindset and encourage your upcoming project.

Think About Your Answers Beforehand

Try to think from your manager’s perspective about how to tell your boss you’re quitting. You’ve probably contributed greatly to the team. They’ll probably miss you and your sterling work, too. So, it’s likely that they will have questions once they find out that you’ve chosen to pursue a new opportunity. Think for a moment about the inquiries you would make if you were in their shoes.

Some queries might concern timing. People may inquire as to why you’re leaving. You might also be asked what they can do to keep you working for them or in your position. There may be inquiries regarding your destination and course of action. You can collaborate with your coach to help you anticipate potential questions.

Be Thankful for The Opportunity

Thank your employers for providing you the chance to develop in your current position or pick up new skills. You might want to quickly mention some particular abilities or knowledge you learned in the company.

Offer to Help with The Transition of Responsibilities

It would be in your favor if you specifically mention that you are willing to assist in training a replacement or that you will be reachable for questions once you have left. However, you’re under no obligation to lend a hand.

Have Your Documents Ready

Managers may occasionally request that you finish up more quickly to prevent a quitting contagion. They may also ask you to stay longer if they need to finish a particular project. In either scenario, you must organize everything to ensure a smooth resignation.

Bring a copy of your resignation letter to the meeting so you can give it to your boss and get over the big question of “how to tell your boss you’re quitting?”. Your formal notice, your last day at work, your contact information, and any other details pertinent to your departure should be included in this. You can either have the information in your mail or attach a copy of the letter to your message if you can’t meet face-to-face with your boss and you’re resigning via email.

How to Tell Your Boss You’re Leaving: Steps

Have A Face to Face Meeting

Try to schedule a one-on-one meeting outside of your regularly scheduled appointments if you work in an office. You can also schedule a face-to-face virtual meeting even if you work remotely.

It’s crucial to schedule a separate meeting outside of your typical one-on-one sessions because you want to reserve space solely for resignation-related details. It’s best to resign if you’re switching to a new position with a different company as soon as you’ve accepted a different job offer.

Be Upfront and Straightforward: Clear Communication  

If you schedule a meeting outside of your typical arrangement, your manager might think you’re onto something. Be direct and to the point rather than engage in small talk or catch up on recent activities. Start the conversation by announcing your decision to leave. This ends any digressional conversation. It gives your manager some additional time to think about the choice before the meeting ends.

Explain Why You’re Leaving

When you finally find the nerve to say, “I quit,” it’s time to explain why. It’s best to state why you’re leaving concisely. Additionally, if your manager asks for any constructive criticism during the conversation, it might be a good opportunity to offer it.

Practicing this process with a mentor, friend, or close colleague would be wise. For instance, you might be quitting due to a toxic workplace, a subpar workplace culture, or a strained manager-employee relationship. While all of these things might be true, it’s still key to share criticism respectfully to avoid causing rifts.

Appreciate Their Leadership

Whether or not you got along well with your soon-to-be ex-employer, they made a commitment to you. And whether it was a positive or negative experience, you still gained something from it. Gratitude and appreciation for their leadership are to be expressed. You may mention notable initiatives that you are particularly proud of, development areas that have emerged during your tenure, and more.

Serve A Proper Notice Period

Employees sometimes tell their bosses about quitting but forget to mention the actual date of their last day. To give your employers enough time to prepare for the transition, you should give them two weeks’ notice unless there are special circumstances, such as a hostile workplace.

Exit Interview

The offboarding process may be trickier than deciding how to tell your boss you’re quitting. You’ll have a ton of work to do after you resign. Transferring your projects, returning your equipment, and ensuring everyone have access to the necessary paperwork. The exit interview, though, can occasionally get lost in the mix. Some businesses conduct exit interviews as a standard part of the offboarding procedure.

Conclusion

Remember, people leave jobs for a reason. You need only think back to your reasons for leaving previous positions to realize that it’s often not about them but about you. In that vein, don’t be confused about how to tell your boss you’re quitting. Instead, ensure that you know exactly why you’re leaving your boss and what will work best for your next move in life. Have a conversation with answers to their questions prepared in advance and be ready to stick around the notice period. You never know when you’ll run into the same person again.

Also Read: The Latest Workplace Trend – Quiet Quitting