How to say goodbye to colleagues

How to say goodbye to colleagues

 

Whether you're leaving for warmer skies or resigning in frustration, your last day on the job can be emotional. Try to make the most of your goodbyes by making them warm and open. To the extent that you may later need your colleagues as professional or personal contacts, it is absolutely necessary to leave them with tact and elegance. Whether you do it in person or by email, saying goodbye doesn't have to be stressful.

 

 

 

Method

1

Say goodbye in person

1

Let everyone know in advance that you are going. Usually your last day is not the best to say you won't be back. It may seem hasty or rude to already have one foot outside and shout: “Tchao! just before closing the door. Take the time to inform everyone of your plans and the date of your departure, so that everyone is housed in the same boat.

Make sure your bosses are the first to know and that you respect notice, if there is one.

After informing management, you can talk to your colleagues about it. Do this when you feel comfortable or when it's convenient, but do it before your last day.

2

Say goodbye in advance. Consider that saying goodbye on your penultimate day will make your last day less stressful and less busy, especially if you still have work to do. Waiting until the day before you leave will also give you the chance to finish all your projects without your colleagues flocking to say goodbye  [1] .

Indeed, once you have announced that you are leaving, chances are that your colleagues will come to greet you one by one. For this reason, saying goodbye will be easier if you have completed all your work.

3

Go find the people one by one. Put your things away early enough to take the time to say goodbye to your individual colleagues. Doing this can sometimes ease tensions between you, because it will be the last time you will see each other as colleagues.

However, keep in mind that unless you move, you will still be able to see your colleagues outside of work, if you really want to. Consider organizing something for your closest colleagues outside of work.

If your co-worker is leaving and you are staying, it might be a good idea to get a small group of co-workers together to say goodbye together at the same time. By taking the first step, you can make things much easier for her.

4

“Network” with people before you go. Try to stay connected with as many colleagues as you can before you leave the office, whether through social media or email. Connect with the people you really want to keep in touch with, but don't think you have to have them all as friends on Facebook to make your job easier.

In the weeks leading up to your departure, think about getting in touch with your colleagues on commercial platforms like Linkedin, if you haven't already done so. This will allow you to keep professional contacts and references on hand, in case you need them later.

5

Be brief. Since you are in a professional setting, act professionally. There is no need to show off and flaunt yourself. Tell your co-workers it's been fun working with them, wish them well, and tell them to remember to keep in touch. It's not more complicated than that.

If your co-worker leaves and you stay, try to remember that there are a lot of people they have to talk to and may not want to do a 45-minute debrief with each one. Even if you're sad to see him go, stay quiet and plan to talk about it later, if you feel it necessary.

It would be perfectly appropriate to say something like, “Marc! It was my pleasure to work with you. We did a good job. You are a good guy. Tell me about you, huh? »

6

Keep a positive attitude. It's true that if you've been asked to leave or are leaving in frustration, it can be a challenge to keep your cool while saying goodbye to your co-workers. However, you should try to remain calm in order to present yourself in the most professional manner. Keep it positive and brief, even if you feel frustrated. You'll be glad you managed to do it.

7

Invite co-workers you've made friends with to a friendlier setting after work. Workplaces can be very composite: you can have real friends you want to keep in touch with, real enemies you can't stand, and a whole bunch of people who fall somewhere in between. It wouldn't make sense to have a big party with everyone, unless the occasion calls for it.

Without making it too public, invite a few of your close friends over for a drink or a bite to eat after work, in order to decompress after the day and talk more freely. It can be a great way to spend some time with people you have good reason to want to keep in touch with.

 

 

Method

2

Send a goodbye email

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1

Write a warm message for the whole company. If you take leave of your department or your company in general, it would be too difficult or complicated to go and knock on each door to elegantly thank all the staff of the company. You should then include people you haven't really known. An email could more or less look like the following text.

Colleagues, as you may have learned, I will be leaving my post of (your post) tomorrow. I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure working with you. I would like to keep in touch and I can be reached at this email address (your email address) or on my Linkedin profile. Thank you for all the good times we had working together. Sincerely (your name)

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2

Keep a positive tone. You might be tempted to talk openly about the bad times, especially if you were fired. However, it is advisable to keep a positive tone to present yourself from the best possible angle. Being positive will also make it easier to "network" with your colleagues later on.

It's always good to end on a happy note, so try to be as positive as possible about your experience in your company. And that's all the more important if you're also sending that email to your boss.

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3

Keep the email short and on topic. It doesn't have to be a long essay, just a few sentences. There is no need to dwell on the real reasons for your departure. If people have questions, you should encourage them to contact you directly or come to see you instead. Just mention that you're moving on and have decided to try a different career.

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4

Include your contact information, if desired. Your goodbye email may end with your contact information. Clearly mention your mobile phone number, your email address and the Linkedin ID thanks to which you can stay in touch with your colleagues  [2] . However, do not share your personal contact information if it bothers you to do so.

You may also consider selecting a few colleagues to share your contact information with. An email can be an easy way to include everyone and share information together. This way, you will have the certainty that you will all be able to find each other afterwards.

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5

Proofread your message before sending it. Once you've finished your draft, go through it to make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. You should also check that the employee's tone comes across as friendly and positive, while remaining professional.

Make sure you've included everyone you wanted in your email.

Consider reading it aloud to see if there are any parts that seem odd.

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6

Talk to your close friends in person. Usually, it feels a bit chilly to email close colleagues to let them know you're leaving. Unless that's not possible, try saying goodbye to them in person. In most cases, you must also notify your superiors in person or at least by telephone.

If for some reason you are unable to see your closest colleagues individually, you should at least send them a personal email telling them how happy you were working with them. Make sure you give them your personal details so they can keep in touch.

A personal email should look something like this: “Dear (your colleague's name), as you may have learned, I will soon be leaving this company. It was a real pleasure to work with you and I will miss your positive energy. I'd like to keep in touch and hope we can spend some time together outside of the office. You can contact me on my phone (your number) or on my e-mail address (your e-mail address). Thank you for the time we spent working together! Sincerely (your name). »

Method

3

Avoid common mistakes

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1

Don't make false promises. If you have no intention or desire to keep in touch with Guillaume from accounting, don't make false promises like: "We'll see each other for a drink one of these four." Besides the fact that you might actually have to keep a promise that you don't want to keep, it tends to come across as hypocritical and untrue. Be sincere and honest and don't feel obligated to make plans with people you don't want to be with.

If you feel rude about making plans with some and not others, just don't talk about those plans. There's no need to tell everyone that you're going to regularly meet up with someone to watch a football match if it's going to offend your other co-workers.

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2

Don't use your last day to pick on your boss. No epic screams slamming the door. No tirades full of insults. Your last day should be quiet, dignified, and brief. Even if you feel like you've been wronged in some way, it's generally a bad idea to engage in a shouting chorus with the boss, who might have the power to stop you from doing it. to get your next job. Be professional, even if you don't feel like it.

If you have a legitimate grievance that you want to raise, do it in person, individually and do it in the most professional way possible. Tell your boss (or the person you're having a problem with) that you'd like to talk to him privately.

In some companies, it is customary to do an exit interview, during which you can vent your frustrations without having to worry about how it will affect your job. Either way, you're leaving, there's no longer any reason to take tweezers.

 

 

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3

Don't bring gifts. It is not important to shower a shower of gifts on your colleagues, it may even have the effect of embarrassing some of them. It's unnecessary and it may seem ostentatious. Again, this is a professional setting, so behave like a professional.

If you really feel the need to bring something, a box of pastries or donuts for the floor would be the perfect way to give a small gift, but don't feel the need to offer a batch of iPods to say goodbye . It's useless.

If your colleague is leaving and you want to wish them well, a card will be a perfectly friendly way to do it. Again, no need for a gold watch.

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4

Do not criticize the company in front of your colleagues. If you leave, don't use this moment as an opportunity to empty your bag and throw your frustrations at the feet of the employees who will have to sweep the broom behind you. Try to leave on a positive note and don't make things awkward for those who have to stay.

Similarly, it's not necessarily a good idea to brag about the quality of your new work, if you're heading to warmer climes. Try to remember that your colleagues still have to come back on Monday and you don't want to leave a toxic environment behind.

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5

Above all, do not leave without saying a word. The mystery will likely create the wrong impression and arouse suspicion in your colleagues, which might not be good for everyone. If it bothers you to leave, that's something you still need to work through before telling everyone personally. Again: it's not complicated. Do it briefly and gently and then walk out. You will soon be finished.

Advice

If you have been fired, consider only emailing people you have worked closely with and who are aware of the situation.

You can also include information about the person who will replace you, so that your colleagues know who to contact.