How To Tell Your Boss You're Quitting (Even If It's A Job You Deeply Love)

How to tell your boss you're quitting. First, get clear in yourself as to why you are leaving.  Maybe you received a better job offer; it is perhaps because your spouse got a new job and you are now moving to another city; perhaps it is because your boss is bullying you.

If you loved your job, let your boss know how much you enjoyed your time with the company.  If you are going to miss working for the company, let the boss know. 

Be Honest

Just be honest.  Always take full responsibility for what you say. 

Use the “I” statement to express your feelings. Meeting your boss to let them know you are leaving is not a good time to make complaints. This should have happened while you were still working.

If you are leaving because of abuse address your concerns at another time. Do not bring this up when you inform your boss you are leaving.

No matter the reason you are leaving, you need to come across as clear, kind, calm and direct; this will help you to know how to tell your boss you're quitting

Be Polite

This is a time to be on your best behaviour. Show your boss you are a class act. Share with your boss what you learned and appreciated about your time with the company if you have something positive to say. Remember this is not a time to fight. Keep the meeting as positive as possible.

Preparation

An excellent way for you to prepare for the conversation is to write a letter to your boss.  Writing a letter will help you to organize your thoughts on paper. Your boss will want a resignation letter from you anyhow.

Before you write the letter, think of what your boss will want to know.  Your boss will likely want to know why you are quitting and the date you would like to be your last. They also would appreciate learning what might help the next person to shine in the position.

Your company may have a policy about how many days' notice employees must give, and so you may need to negotiate if you hope to be leaving sooner.

Fear and Anxiety – Getting Grounded

If talking to your boss is bringing up fear and anxiety, there are some practices you can do to prepare yourself.

Something you can do to ground yourself when you are feeling anxious is to breathe slowly and deeply. Inhale through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.  Take a few minutes to breathe before you meet with your boss.

If you don't already meditate, this might be an excellent time to begin. There are some great apps available for your smartphone that are excellent aids to help you meditate. My favourite app is called Insight Timer.

As you are in the midst of change, you need to make sure you are taking good care of yourself.  Make sure you get plenty of sleep. Eat yummy, nutritious food. Get lots of exercise.

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Trial Run

Another way to prepare yourself is to practice the conversation with a friend or member of your family.  Speak to the person as though they are your boss to get some practice. Ask for constructive feedback to find out how you come across. All of this will help you to know how to tell your boss you're quitting.

Set a time and date to meet your boss

 Don't tell them why you want to meet.  Let your boss know that you need to talk.

Final Preparations

On the day, make sure you have a good meal.  Take some time to meditate and breathe before you go, and make sure you arrive a few minutes ahead of time so you are not in a rush.

Trust that you will know what you need to say as long as you prepared yourself well.  Whatever you do, make sure you do not react negatively.  Say what you need to say and leave. If you need to negotiate your departure date, be clear about the latest you can leave.

Want to learn how to manage the most common Challenges of Life Transition? Click Here

Know Your Rights

Make sure you know your rights before you meet your boss. Knowing your rights will help you to understand how to tell your boss you're quitting

Hopefully, you will have a boss who will let you know you will be missed and still wish you well in your new adventure. 

The Conversation

Make sure you cover your key points in the letter. Stay open to your inner wisdom so you can respond to your boss in the best way possible.

Once you set in motion your departure, you never know what may happen. You might be told to leave immediately.  Ensure you are treated fairly.

End your time in the best way you can so no one will have any bad taste in their mouth. Don’t say anything that might prevent your boss from giving you a good reference.

Say Goodbye

If not, just let go and set your mind to your next job or possibly a new community. Using meditation and breathing can help you let go of any negative feeling you have about the job and the people you are leaving.

Letting your boss know you are quitting is never easy, even in the best of times, but it is essential to do this well so you can continue to move on to the next chapter in your life.

I am Roland Legge, an Identity Life Coach here to help you know how to tell your boss you're quitting.  You can join my newsletter for free advice (Click Here) and join my private Facebook Group called "Discover Your Identity" (Click Here).