Each minute of our life is a lesson but most of us fail to read it. I thought I would just add my daily lessons & the lessons that I learned by seeing the people around here. So it may be useful for you and as memories for me.

Employee Resignation, we know it is inevitable in any organization. Sooner or later, even the best employer has employees resign. The reasons are endless for what causes an employee resignation. But, each employee resignation poses the employer with the same series of questions. Unexpected resignations present big challenges for leaders, managers especially those unaccustomed to dealing with them. It’s probably a frustration you haven’t had for a while — and if you’re a relatively new manager, you might not have ever experienced this before.

As our team members grow in their careers, they may branch out beyond what is available to them in their current role or company. Sometimes, what they are looking for next isn’t something we can offer.  I agree, It’s a dreadful moment when a well-liked member of your team tenders their resignation. You experience a cocktail of emotions ranging from fear about how the rest of the team will react.

As with most difficult situations as a manager, how you handle the resignation will affect more than just you. When someone shares news of their resignation, here’s how to handle it with grace and support so they leave with a great lasting impression of you and the organization.

Be supportive: Congratulate them on their new gig and new opportunity. They’ve worked hard to reach this point. Even if you wish they were staying, honor that they’ve accomplished something great in their career, with you by their side. Now it’s time to let the bird fly.

Collaborate and communicate: You can’t control how others react to the news, but you can control how it gets communicated. Be honest and open when communicating the departure to other stakeholders and team. Explain the circumstance in plain language and assure them “you are working hard to find a suitable replacement and doing your best to make the transition as smooth as possible,”.

Thank them for their efforts: Remember all the things they’ve contributed to your company. Highlight the qualities you admire in them. Thank them for their time on your team, and if it’s true, let them know you’ve enjoyed working with them.

Be curious: Now that you have made clear that you are supportive and grateful, it’s safe to get curious about what they’re excited about taking on next. This is also a good time to ask for input on what wasn’t working well in their current role. Many departing employees are reluctant to share any negative feedback on their way out for fear of burning bridges. If that’s the case, look for what drew them to their new role, so you can assess whether that’s something you could have offered but failed to, or not.

Gauge their interest in staying: Sometimes an employee is dissatisfied but not actually ready to leave. They may want to stay but fear the opportunities they are looking for don’t exist on your team. Other times they are hoping for a salary increase and see a job offer as a negotiation tactic. Make sure you understand if they truly want to leave, or if there’s room to explore changes in team, role, or pay that might change their mind. Are they open to staying? Is there more pay or a different opportunity within the team that might meet their’s and your needs? A change in geography? If they’re open to it, continue the conversation.

Transfer knowledge: Now you have some difficult decisions to make about how to divvy up responsibilities while you’re short-staffed. Acknowledge that your team will have a “workload problem” for a time and that people are likely to  “feel overburdened,” but also use the departure as an opportunity to “talk to employees about their careers and opportunities for growth,” . During the exiting employee’s notice period, set up an “extensive shadowing mechanism” so that those taking over his responsibilities can absorb what they need to.

Make a hiring plan: It highly recommended to coordinate with HR to formally list a job opening as soon as possible. This helps people on your team understand that this is temporary,”. Ask employees for input on what skills, experience and qualities they would like to find in the new hire. Perhaps they know people — inside or outside the company — who would be a good fit. Or an internal promotion might be in order, and this could be a chance for someone to expand and grow into the role. It also recommended reconsidering your team configuration. “Ideally you should operate at some level of overcapacity so that when you lose an employee, you don’t need to panic. This little bit of redundancy doesn’t need to cost you more — think about whether you could hire two part-time people instead of one fulltime person.

Remain available to them for the remainder of their time at the company: Don’t cancel one-on-one meetings just because they’re leaving. You want to remain supportive for as long as they are part of your team. This is a sign of respect and the right thing to do. In our increasingly networked professional circles, it’s also the smart thing to do. You never know: they could be your boss someday.

Honor their ultimate decision: Whether they renege on the offer they’d taken or stay committed to leaving the company, honor their decision and assume it’s the right path for them. If they’re going, plan a farewell gathering to thank this person for their hard work.

Don’t be hard on yourself: Remember that when someone leaves, it doesn’t always mean we’ve done a bad job (though definitely poke into what’s causing their departure). Sometimes it can mean we’ve done a great job in preparing them for what’s next, and they’re ready for bigger and better opportunities thanks to you that may not be available to them in your current company. If their needs could have been met on your team, take this as a learning opportunity. Think about how you can better support your existing team and how you’ll set the next person in this role up for success. And then, it’s time to move on.

Have a party: On the employee’s last day, it’s important to gather your team to “thank the person who’s leaving and wish them well,” . It doesn’t have to be a big party; it could be coffee and donuts in the conference room. But the act of celebration is key. After all, “it’s not only about the person who is leaving. It’s also about the people who are staying,” You are rewarding the people for whom it’s going to be a difficult few weeks.” Failing to acknowledge an employee’s departure and his or her contributions sends a bad message to your team. It’s important to humanize the work relationship.

Sample, Thank you note “MunnaPrawin is leaving us to pursue new opportunities at @ *$&/ company. His last day in our Organization is Feb 14. Please join me in wishing Mary tremendous success in his future endeavors. Please join us to wish Prawin success in his new employment and to say good-bye.”

Principles to Remember:

Do´s

• Immediately develop a hiring plan to replace the employee
• Frame the resignation as an opportunity for remaining team members to take on new responsibilities and learn new things
• Publicly acknowledge the employee’s departure and his contributions to the team

Dont´s

• Take the resignation personally; instead, retain your relationship with the employee by engaging in a friendly conversation about future plans
• Try to counter-offer unless it’s absolutely necessary — you’ll have more success if you wait a year and then try to recruit them back
• Be blindsided again. Make an effort to talk to your team about their professional interests and needs

Support Your Employees, No Matter Where They Are

In the end, remember that the business of losing an employee is more than just, well, business. No matter the circumstances, make sure you both leave on good terms. Wish her well in her new position, offer to be a reference in the future, and encourage her to keep in touch. Even if her performance wasn’t the greatest during those last two weeks, there’s no need to burn that bridge—you never know when you’ll cross paths again in the future.

Losing an employee (especially a great one) is tough—but as a manager, you’ll have to face it sooner or later. So, it’s best to be prepared with a plan of action—and, of course, a heartfelt card and farewell cake can always help ease the pain, too.

Why is it that when someone resigns they are treated like an enemy? Life is too short. Be happy for others and happiness will always surround you. Agree?

When an employee resigns:
1) Thank them for all their contributions.
2) Treat them with respect.
3) Wish them the best.

No matter how educated, talented, which position you hold, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat others tells all. Integrity is everything.

Please feel free to share your story and any lessons you learned, you experienced, you came across in your life in the comments below. If you enjoyed this, or any other other posts, I’d be honored if you’d share it with your family, friends and followers!