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- Make a resignation plan. If there is a documented policy or a cultural process for resignations in your company, build your plan around that. Decide if you are resigning for sure or if you are open to them making a better offer to keep you. Decide how explicit you are going to be with your boss and HR about your reasons for departure. I would advise you be as explicit as possible without burning any bridges—if not for the opportunity to return to this company but for the relationships you’ll want to preserve for future projects and jobs.
- The order in which you tell people about your departure should depend on your relationships with them. The standard process dictates that you should always tell your boss before others. However, if you are not very close with your boss, but you have some very trusting coworkers or employees, it’s okay to tell them first. Do it in the name of keeping them informed, prepared and in order to position them to be able to succeed during your transition out. I’ve tried this process before and it worked very well. But it relies on a deep trust of those you are informing.
- Once it’s final and the official announcement has been made to your boss and the immediate folks around you, you might as well tell others as soon as possible. Resignations can be hard to hear about but after years of seeing them poorly communicated, I’ve learned that what makes the news worse is finding out about it last minute. When people learn of your departure on your last day, they feel blindsided. You might as well inform them and give them time to process.