Pre-Departure Considerations
Prior to even thinking about leaving a position and as an annual safety check, make sure you have pre-planned any change in your employment status by doing the following:
- Maintain current letters of reference. Request letters from superintendents, administrators, board members, parents, union leaders, and key constituents.
- Keep your resume and social media profiles up-to-date and 100% accurate.
- Confirm benefit eligibility, including accrued leave time, transportable savings plans, transference of accumulated sick time, continuation of health coverage, COBRA, severance pay, and unemployment compensation if eligible. Consult directly with the source experts for such information as state pension boards, policy handbooks, and human resource officers. It is difficult to learn about your entitlements after you have turned in your ID badge or equipment and lost that face-to-face access to the organization.
- Transfer to your personal computer some non-proprietary examples of your work that will be helpful in future jobs.
- Leave any proprietary documents and associated passwords with the district to avoid liability claims of removing source documents that are the district’s property. Confirm such in writing to avoid future problems. Expect the employer to promptly back-up all files for retention once your departure is evident.
Keep it professional and courteous. Even if you are leaving under less-than-ideal circumstances, a respectful resignation letter is key to leaving on good terms. Finish strong by completing any pending tasks and setting your successor up for a smooth handoff.
- Save contact information for the colleagues with whom you will maintain associations. Because some organizations will escort you out of the office and cut off your computer access when you tell them you're leaving, even before your announced departure date, gather your materials and list of contacts and decide on your level of future interactions before departing.
- Comply with all requirements, including notification time frames and formatting of the official resignation, while being considerate of departing at critical times. Organizations have a long memory when employees depart without consideration for the organization.
- Write your resignation letter. Keep it professional and courteous. Even if you are leaving under less-than-ideal circumstances, a respectful resignation letter is key to leaving on good terms. Avoid complaining about issues. Be respectful, sincere, and professional.
- Find out before you leave if there are any non-disclosure policies or time frames for undertaking certain new positions.
- Request an exit interview to firm up transition details and gain confirmation (sign-offs) of returned materials, intellectual property, equipment, and term length of any post-departure access to technology.
- Obtain written verification of materials returned, including keys, laptops, phones, IDs, and passwords, and obtain confirmation that your files have been retained by the organization per their requirements.
The incoming person may not want to use your expertise after you leave and instead decide to “go-it-alone” without assistance. Understand that some successors may not want to see or hear from you, even if you left the organization on good terms. This could be due to their own insecurity or the need to rapidly make changes for their own personal recognition and establishment of leadership.
Agreements for a specified minimum of committed days for an incumbent to meet with the new official for debriefing or transition should be agreed to early on and included in both the exit and entry agreements approved by the school board. Three to five days over a few months is the norm.
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Create a mutually agreeable transition plan with all involved parties that details functions, activities, and issues for the person taking over your responsibilities. Document your work to include files, project reports, policies, or systems to ensure that the person who takes over after you has all the information they need.
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Ascertain how any future requests for references about you will be handled. Most educational institutions, by policy, provide only an employment start date and end date. However, if agreed upon in writing, more information can be provided and could be mutually beneficial.
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Recognize that celebrations in your honor prior to departure, while laudable, may be uncomfortable. The staff will want to honor you while at the same time welcoming your successor. Segregate departing celebrations from welcoming celebrations.
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Finish strong by completing any pending tasks and setting your successor up for a smooth handoff. Don’t leave work unfinished, as it can affect your reputation. Stay positive and engaged; avoid disengaging too early. Stay productive and respectful during your final days to leave a lasting positive impression.
How you exit a position will be long remembered, as will the treatment of the incoming person.
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Be thoughtful with regard to how often you visit your former organization, contact employees, or request materials or information. You cannot expect business as usual from your prior confidants, since they must demonstrate loyalty to the new person for their own job security. That may include excluding you from discussions, celebrations, and updates. Perceptions of continued contact with a departed administrator could be perceived as a violation of trust for the new hire.
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The opportunity to benefit from advice, follow-up, legal continuance, and historical perspectives from the departing official cannot be understated, and the successor should embrace the departing staff member, asking for advice or guidance or a quick catch-up over coffee. A positive relationship bodes well for existing staff, and it will be noted by superiors that the succession process is operational and functional.
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Avoid buttressing any complaints from your former staff who reach out to gain support against your successor after your departure. Any commentary by you, pro or con, could lead to negative perceptions, misquotes, ill feelings, and falsehoods that tarnish reputations. Disgruntled staff members who may hold “ill-will” may contribute to the misinformation. A district’s code of conduct policy may have to be invoked and cautions issued in such instances.
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Take the opportunity to personally say farewell to your colleagues. Send an email or message expressing your gratitude and sharing your new contact information, if appropriate. If departing for a higher position, remain humble and avoid bragging. Maintaining professional contact information can be valuable in the future, yet understand that some may not want to continue the relationship.
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Try not to react impulsively or emotionally if you learn of negative comments about you. It will occur. It's natural to feel upset, but responding in a calm and professional manner is often the best course of action. If your employer or someone affiliated with the district speaks negatively about you in writing (email, social media posts, etc.), save copies. This documentation can be helpful if you need to address the situation later.
Best of Luck
Leaving a job can feel like a monumental change, but handling it professionally and thoughtfully will leave you in a good position for your next opportunity while preserving important relationships along the way.
If you are leaving your current position, congratulations on this major change in your life. Best wishes for success to your successor!