Divorcing your boss means never having to say you're sorry

On December 13, 2004, McDonald’s Corporation announced that their Executive Vice President and Chief Restaurant Operations Officer, Claire Babrowski, had resigned from the company after 31 years or service. Her resignation was attributed to her being passed over for the company’s two top positions.  On June 29, 2005, she accepted a position as the COO and Executive Vice President of the Radio Shack Corporation. In February of 2006, she was promoted to the position of acting president and CEO of Radio Shack. By August 18, 2006, Claire Babrowski resigned once again, after being passed over for the position of Radio Shack President and CEO. But what impressions did she leave when she chose to divorce her boss?

Jim Skinner, McDonald’s Chief Executive Officer said:

• “McDonald’s owes Claire a huge debt of gratitude for the difference she has made throughout her 31 exemplary years of service. She began her career as a crew member in Ottawa, Illinois, and dedicated the past three decades of her life to McDonald’s.” 

But does what the boss says in a press release really reflect how they feel about you when you leave? Maybe yes, maybe no. A business manager that I knew once announced at a meeting that if an employee wants to leave and he doesn’t like them,  he’ll give them a fantastic recommendation. He continued his philosophy with a grin by saying “Oh yeah, I want someone else to hire them”.  Is that what happened to Claire Babrowski? I don’t really know. I do know one person that does though, Jim Skinner. I’m sure Jim meant those words but what else could he say after someone gave 31 years of their life to a company?  Claire would have believed in his words more if she’d gotten one of the two top positions at the company. Actions still speak louder than words.

Putting your heart and soul in to your work comes with expectations. The American philosophy of work teaches us that working hard and doing a good job will reward us. But, when life slaps us in the face with the fact that we are replaceable, it’s not a pleasant emotional ride. Getting passed over for higher level positions that you’ve worked hard to achieve, well let’s just say that it can make you angrier than the “father of a bride who gets stood up at the altar”. You thought through all the details, did what you had to do to make it happen, but those you depended on let you down. It happens to all of us at some time in life whether it’s in a personal or a work relationship. When it happens to you, that’s the time to dig deep and protect the professional reputation and respect that you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

The words and actions that spew from your mouth and your pen are important when divorcing your boss.

The way we feel when we leave a job can vary widely and it certainly depends upon the circumstances that surround the reason for our resignation. We may feel angry and depressed, if we’re leaving because we’ve been passed up for a promotion. At the same time, we may even feel a sense of relief that our current job frustrations will soon end. If we’re leaving for a new job, we may feel optimistic about leaving our old stressors behind us. But, we may also feel excited or anxious about starting over again with a new company, new co-workers and maybe living in a new city, state, or country. It’s all perfectly normal to feel a wide array of emotions when major changes occur in our lives. Our reactions to our emotions don’t come naturally most times though so be careful how you react when you’ve decided to make the break from your present company.

 Give yourself some time to let your thoughts simmer.

If you’re a practioner of meditation, it may be easier for you remain professional when writing your resignation letter or talking to your boss about it. If you’re not, then you might want to punch a punching bag for 30 minutes before you sit down to write your letter. It’s better to vent off some of your steam before writing down what you want to say, than to burn your good reputation with a negatively written resignation. The resignation letter that you cook up will serve you better in the long run.

Okay, so you’re ready to leave your current job. Here’s our advice:

 

• TAKE TIME TO REHEARSE YOUR RESIGNATION - Write up your resignation and read it to friends. Ask your friends how your words would make them feel, if they were your boss. Switch places with them and have your friends read your words to you.

• SHARPEN UP YOUR RESUME - Write down any new changes that have to made to your last resume and take it to a professional resume writer. If you think you can do it yourself, ask yourself how many times you’ve said “I need to update my resume”. Have you? Why not? Let me guess. You have too many other things going on in your life that take priority over working on your resume. Updating a resume takes time and you know it. That’s why you don’t do it. It’s not fun and its time consuming. Yes, I think that the quickest and easiest way to get the job done is to find a professional resume writer and pay them to do it for you.
  

• TALK TO A RECRUITER - If you’re seeking an executive level position be sure that the recruiter specializes in that area, like we do at The SearchLogix Group. If you’ve never used a recruiting service before, give them a call. They will be happy to answer your questions, including any cost associated with their services. You should know that many recruiters are paid by the hiring companies and are free to job seekers. Recruiters have the company connections that you need. If you’re thinking about changing careers or you’re just thinking that you need a job change, it’s worth making a phone call to a recruiter.
  

• DON’T PUT YOUR RESUME ON THE INTERNET IF YOU’RE STILL WORKING - If your current boss happens to find out about it, you may find yourself looking for work sooner than you’re ready to! A better way to find out about job opportunities is through a recruiter. They will do the job searching for you and you’ll keep your present job until you’ve been offered a new one!
  

• DON’T BURN YOUR BRIDGES - If you’re leaving your job with the song “take this job and shove it” circling around in your head, DON’T SAY IT OUT LOUD! For that matter, don’t write it on any letter you’re handing in, either! Sure, it might feel good to say it to your boss, but the words will come back to haunt you.  In tight job markets, finding a new job may depend on how your former boss and co-workers feel about you. The old adage “if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all” is very applicable when you’re leaving a job. 

Dawn Turner
Blog Management & Development
The SearchLogix Group