In my experience an article about how to quit like a boss would involve making a ton of bad decisions, then jumping ship, using your "leadership experience" at the smoking crater you left behind as a way to get a higher paying position somewhere else. There may be a better way, but that's the only way I've ever seen a boss actually quit.
How to quit like a boss
61–70 of 171 posts
Re: How to quit like a boss
#62There's a typo in the article's headline. It should read: "How Your Boss Would Like You to Quit" I've always found the sociology of work fascinating, and how it can vary so much from industry to industry. When I read statements like: > Your team trusted you and depended on you. It’s unethical to screw them over because they’re not paying you any more. I wonder what their world view is, and why they think you're screw…
> It should read: "How Your Boss Would Like You to Quit"
Touché, yes there's some truth to this. Many of the points in the post were reflections on people leaving my team as I have an order of magnitude more examples of that than me leaving a team. If you're implying there's some kind of zero-sum thing going on here though, I disagree: it can be good for both you and your boss.
> I wonder what their world view is…
I don't quite follow this paragraph, could you rephrase?
> Leaving the team at short notice is unethical?
Ah, no – this is in the "Don’t sabotage, it’s a dick move" section: it's sabotage which is unethical.
Re: How to quit like a boss
#63This is excellent advice for those working in a rational environment. For those working in an ego-driven environment, not so much. Plan your exit strategy as you would from an abusive spouse. Don't assume good faith on anyone else's part.
I worked in many places including ego-driven, political and/or irrational. Leaving gracefully has never backfired on me. Actually, the opposite happened. Leaving gracefully has left me with some good friends and has led me to opportunities from people I worked with in the past and have became successful in the meantime. Additionally, at almost every company I happen to work with somebody that I have known before. Ans…
I still strongly suggest you get everything in order (employment offer accepted) before sharing you are on a job search. Companies will start planning without you and you may not land the perfect job for months.
Would a company share they are posting a job to replace you and then ask you to train that person before they actually do?
Graceful is 2/3 weeks notice of handing off projects.
Re: How to quit like a boss
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it depends on the situation. I definitely agree that performance-based firings would tend to be extremely brutal compared to the approach I advocate for here (largely due to the various risks posed by aggrieved employees). Perhaps I should add that this advice best (only?) applies if you're leaving a company in a sort of "natural parting of ways" kind of situation? Thanks for the feedback.
No only performance-based firings, but throw-someone-else-under-the-bus firings and bad-management firings. Also cost-cutting layoffs or outsourcing-layoffs. Regardless of the cause, an employer almost-always will require a separation agreement be signed as a requisite action for any amount of severance pay. This is entirely to the benefit of the employer.
If it’s entirely to the benefit of the employer, why would anyone sign them?
Both sides get something from the agreement. Employer gets certainty. Employee gets certainty and some money.
Re: How to quit like a boss
#65This post is filled with bad and naive advice.
I have thankfully worked in mostly rational companies and been able to be honest with managers about what is or isn't working. At my last job though I spent more than a year saying repeatedly that I wasn't happy with my project work and that I wanted more pay. Annual review rolls around and they didn't fix it. I had a new job offer in a month and when I put in my notice my manager was shocked. He's a good guy but he was also my boss which means he's only going to pay me enough to stay. Just accept that fact and move on.
Match your notice period to the handover period - I'm sorry but everything about this section is wrong. Nothing you are working on is so important that you can't put it in a good state for someone else to pick up in your absence in two weeks. You stayed for 10 months? I can't tell if you or your employer was the one being strung along.
"Your new role, if you have one arranged, should respect your decision to be professional about your handover period. They’ll wait, don’t worry."
No - The hiring market for developers is red hot right now, no doubt about it, but potential employers are not going to sit around with a position open for months. Potential employers are not going to be impressed at your loyalty to a previous employer. They will think you are wasting their time and will probably be working to put someone else in that position while you dawdle.
The two weeks notice period is the conventional standard and everyone knows what it means. Stick to that and you'll be fine.
Re: How to quit like a boss
#66This is excellent advice for those working in a rational environment. For those working in an ego-driven environment, not so much. Plan your exit strategy as you would from an abusive spouse. Don't assume good faith on anyone else's part.
I don’t think it’s good advice even for someone working in a rational environment.
The part about giving ten months notice is terrible. He even says that it was bad for both sides! He was mentally checked out for months and not coming up with long term solutions because he knew he was out of there. Not my supposition - he literally says that.
My past three jobs have all lasted at least a decade. I just don’t agree with much if any of the advice here other than the blatantly obvious things like “don’t sabotage them” lol.
Re: How to quit like a boss
#67That's an insanely pollyanna take on quitting. What's the worst that could happen? You could get fired for looking for another job. This happens. Most people I know have worked for someone toxic, or worked for a toxic organization. If you work for nice people and things just don't align, yeah, sure, this approach may be fine, but it's by no means universal.
I think the assumption is getting fired instantly from a toxic organization is probably a good thing. The problem is that a high likelihood of a better outcome (as opposed to ending up living in your car), still isn't a guarantee. The most risk-averse strategy should still use some of the advice posted here, but concerns like minimizing other people's problems and your own guilt are not worth the dangers.
The article's comment to that "But if you have a crap manager it’s better to find that out clearly, and early" is, frankly, ridiculous - discussing your potential quitting is not the way how one would "find out early" that they have a crap manager - presumably they would already know very well at that point, and this would likely be a big part of why they're quitting.
Re: How to quit like a boss
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
I worked in many places including ego-driven, political and/or irrational. Leaving gracefully has never backfired on me. Actually, the opposite happened. Leaving gracefully has left me with some good friends and has led me to opportunities from people I worked with in the past and have became successful in the meantime. Additionally, at almost every company I happen to work with somebody that I have known before. Ans…
I still strongly suggest you get everything in order (employment offer accepted) before sharing you are on a job search. Companies will start planning without you and you may not land the perfect job for months. Would a company share they are posting a job to replace you and then ask you to train that person before they actually do? Graceful is 2/3 weeks notice of handing off projects.
Well, you should have offer before you put your notice. I usually wait until I have the new contract signed. But the notice should not be a surprise to anybody.
I tell my boss that I am actively searching, don't yet have an offer or a concrete date. I also tell him not to worry and reassure I will try to give him as much notice as possible and will cooperate to close whatever projects we can close and do necessary transfers gracefully.
This lets him plan some things like grooming my replacement or put more emphasis on closing projects rather than starting new ones. Which is additional benefit for me because there aren't many things worse for me than working on a project that I know I will never be able to finish.
Also here in Poland notice period is 1 month minimum. Since it is calendar month it can even be almost two months. But I also work as tech lead which means there is way more projects I am involved in and way more technical stuff to pass.
I try as much as I can not to be a bus factor 1 employee but somehow there is always a bunch of things that people realise would like to get done before I leave because they know otherwise they will have to wait forever for them.
Re: How to quit like a boss
#69This is excellent advice for those working in a rational environment. For those working in an ego-driven environment, not so much. Plan your exit strategy as you would from an abusive spouse. Don't assume good faith on anyone else's part.
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Re: How to quit like a boss
#70This post is filled with bad and naive advice. I have thankfully worked in mostly rational companies and been able to be honest with managers about what is or isn't working. At my last job though I spent more than a year saying repeatedly that I wasn't happy with my project work and that I wanted more pay. Annual review rolls around and they didn't fix it. I had a new job offer in a month and when I put in my notice…
They actually stated 10 months was way too long and cited many reasons. So that's not advice, that's reporting what didn't work well. I think we're all on the same page here 10 months is way too long including TFA.