On Resigning

I could have called it “On Quitting”, but that sounds like a defeat, a giving up on a task undertaken. Whereas “Resigning” is a more dignified term, and looked at in one way means ‘signing on again’ – a very positive purport.

I resigned for the second time in my career a few days back. (Technically, it is the third time, because I quit my first job in about 15 days of joining). Putting in my papers for the first time was much more difficult, as I had worked for the company for 14 long and eventful years. It was my home and I felt like an orphan on severing ties with what meant the world to me. In fact, it was the only world I knew since I jumped into the Corporate Jungle. The second time of submitting my resignation came in after just over two years with the organization, but I was surprised by the hesitation I felt in carrying out the deed.

In these times of hop-skip-and-jump tactics adopted by corporate high-fliers, quitting perhaps is a second nature to many. But I’m sure that there are enough mortals like me who find it difficult to let go of an environment where you spend an enormous amount of your waking hours every day.

Why is quitting your job such a stressful, difficult act ?

Perhaps you are too comfortable in the cocoon that you are working in for a long time. You’ve got very familiar with people around you, and you feel secure in the knowledge that they know what you are capable of. This is assuming you are performing well in your work. There is a certain pattern in your life, and you don’t want to change the scenery very much. A life of repetitions has a strange soothing effect on our minds, as if reassuring us that life will be smooth if we just let it be. How complete is the deception !

But I believe that in an overwhelmingly large number of cases, it is the leap into the unknown that spooks the hell out of us in making a change. Why rock the boat when the waters are calm ? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Such streams of logic lull our minds against altering our set way of life. As many job hoppers have discovered, a new workplace is no guarantee of a better career or life, plus there is added pressure of re-establishing your worth to your new masters. It is this fear of change which stops us dead in our tracks from hurtling towards an uncharted territory.

So is change to be feared or embraced with open arms ? Here’s the rub : even if you are not actively pursuing change, change is actively pursuing you – all the time. As the recent global meltdown has glaringly put to forth, change can disrupt you even if you are safely ensconced in a seemingly bomb-proof bunker.

For me, once I decided to take the plunge in unfamiliar waters, the next difficulty was to find a way to break the news to my boss without causing the slightest heartburn or unpleasantness. There are a whole lot of websites dedicated on ‘how to resign’, and I also consulted one of these, called http://www.i-resign.com/. Despite full preparations and going through carefully chosen words over and over again in my mind, I was tense when I walked into my boss’s room to apprise him of my intentions.

I came straight to the point. In a very polite, but matter-of-factly manner, I delivered the few sentences of my desire to throw in my towel. Though slightly taken aback by this unexpected turn of events, my boss was surprisingly encouraging of my decision, perhaps because I was candid enough to share even the position that I was taking up. He also appreciated that fact that I stuck with the company in its most difficult hour. I was left a little speechless by the conversation, and it was over in a short and smooth manner.

It was my turn to reel under the impact of the action just taken, partly relieved from an onerous task and partly bewildered by the genial manner of parting of ways. The little talk could well have been unpleasant and tricky. It took me the rest of the day to soak in the reality of resigning from my current job.

The lesson learnt is this : When it comes to resigning, the best way is to first break the news to your superior in person. Nobody likes nasty surprises, and bosses have a patent hatred for it. The more direct the message, the easier it is to confront any question that the boss may ask subsequently. People always value the honest truth, however unpleasant or damaging it might be. On the other hand, a lie or a less than honest presentation destroys your credibility forever. A verbal apprising of the intent can always be followed up by a formal, written resignation. The exit can be a lot less messy this way. And you would have ensured that you haven’t burnt the bridge while crossing the river.

Endpiece : "It doesn't take a lot of strength to hang on. It takes a lot of strength to let go" - J.C. Watts