How to Tell Your Team You’re Leaving
Anyone who has been reading my blog knows that transparency defines how I operate; being authentic is so important to me that it is part of my personal mission statement. Even if you aren’t as fervently transparent as I am, being straightforward is especially critical when breaking bad news. This includes sharing that someone is leaving the team. Here are some tips for how to break the news of an employee departure:
Ensure that the employee communicates the news to their manager first before notifying other members of the team. The manager should not hear this news from someone else.
When communicating the news to the broader team, convey the facts related to the employee departure—i.e., who is leaving, when, and any salient information about who will assume the person’s responsibilities in their absence. If you don’t know the latter information, acknowledge that this is a known gap that is still being discussed. Ideally, develop and communicate a coverage plan prior to the employee’s last day.
Check with the employee to see what information they are willing to share related to their departure. Some staff will prefer not to disclose why they are leaving, especially if it is for personal reasons. If the employee is willing to share, prepare them to field questions about where they are going and why they are leaving.
Deliver the news synchronously, if possible. An email can come across as cold. Receiving an automated notification that the person has resigned (or an email bounceback after the fact!!) is even worse. Regardless of whether the employee expects to interact with these people again in their professional life, it’s courteous to notify the immediate team of impending plans, since the absence will likely impact them. Follow synchronous communications with a comprehensive email summary to make sure that everyone receives the message.
Celebrate professional accomplishments, regardless of organizational affiliation. I’ve had members of my team resign over the years; everyone does. I was sorry to see these staff go, but in every case, I was convinced that the person had made the right choice for their career. As career managers, we should celebrate that. Choosing to pursue a new opportunity should not be treated as a secret or as a source of shame.
