Leave Off Right

“Don’t burn your bridges” is a famous saying I am sure almost everyone as heard or will hear sometime in their life. The importance of actually following this saying can really help your new start-up in the long run. When someone in business  or at your job has not been the best to you, that doesn’t mean you can not be the best to them. Even if it’s on the way out the door.

This can be especially true when you leave your current job and start your quest to be an entrepreneur. “If your former colleagues believe in your entrepreneurial vision, they could become your first investors, clients, business partners, employees, and referral sources. In today’s startup scene, you need cross-industry skills more and more: tech people can create great food startups, finance experience can help support education startups, etc,(inc.com).

It is a smart business decision to make sure you have as many professional contacts as possible and they are in good standing because when you venture out on your own, you never know who will come into your path in the future. Here are some tips to maintaining a positive outcome and business relationship when you are quitting your job:

1. Give Ample Notice – Nothing can make a company more upset than when an employee doesn’t give enough notice, as this takes away their ability to prepare for your departure and start the hiring process to replace you. While the average notice length is two weeks, try to give more if you can. Giving ample notice can remind your current job that you’re professional, responsible, and trustworthy. And you might need those positive feelings in your future professional endeavors.

2. Be Open to Contract Work – If you know your company will be in a bind once you leave, offer to work on a freelance or contract basis. This can be regular and steady contract employment, as an as-needed basis, or until they hire someone to fill your previous position. This can make the transition smooth for both you and the company.

3. Wrap Up Before You Leave – While it’s important to give adequate notice before leaving, you should also put in some extra effort to make sure you’ve completed all of your big projects or responsibilities. This can include training someone else or finishing it yourself. Again, it all comes to back to avoiding leaving your company in a lurch. Most companies will look on you leaving more kindly when you take care of your duties before you leave.

4. Make it Official – You can simply tell you boss you’re leaving, but it’s important to leave a paper trail. So, make it official. Write and submit a resignation letter that can be easily shared with upper management. In the resignation letter, be polite, professional, and stick to the facts. Also, it helps if you thank them for the opportunity they gave you and the skills they helped you to improve. No matter your position with the company, leave on a positive note rather than pointing out their management faults.

5. Be Ready to Train – When it comes to hiring a replacement, some companies are slower than others. If your company finds your replacement during your last few weeks, be ready and willing to train that new person. If a replacement isn’t chosen, create training materials specific to your job duties and responsibilities. When your company is ready to hire someone new, they won’t have to worry about being ill-prepared. This may even include you sitting in on the interviews and being a part of the selection process. (http://theamericangenius.com)

It’s is never easy to take a chance, leave your job and become an entrepreneur. But leaving in a way that is fair and thoughtful is always better than trying to leave in a blaze of glory. That doesn’t ever seem to work out as expected. As a entrepreneur we must have confidence but we also want to have a balance of humility and accountability. Building good relationships now before you leave your job may really pay off in the end for your start-up.

Sources:

Schussler, Steve. “8.” It’s A Jungle In There. New York: Union Square, 2010. 61. Print.

Jimenez, Charlene. “Quit Your Job to Be an Entrepreneur without Burning Bridges.” The American Genius. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015. <http://theamericangenius.com/entrepreneur/quit-your-job-to-be-an-entrepreneur-without-burning-bridges/&gt;.

Yashchin, Avi. “Best Advice I Ever Got: Don’t Burn Bridges.” INC. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015. <http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/best-advice-i-ever-got-don-t-burn-bridges.html&gt;.