Resigning from your current role?
Here’s how to manage the perfect break up
With January fast approaching, we know that for many people finding a new job often tops the list of New Year's Resolutions. But even with all the excitement that comes from securing your new dream role, often comes anxiety around having to resign from your current role.
With emotions and anxiety running high, leaving your current job is never something to take lightly. Here at Stanton House, we believe that managing your resignation is much like managing ‘The Perfect Break-up’.
There’s so much to be said for leaving your organisation in the ‘right way’. Here’s some great insight and advice from our CPO, Caroline Lansbury, who shares her experience and the importance of managing your resignation much like the ‘perfect break up’…
It's not you, it's me: My Stanton House Experience, Caroline Lansbury
Breaking up is never easy to do, especially when it’s with about 90 people in one fell swoop! In essence, however, that is how it feels to leave a company that at its core you love, a company that you believe in, a company that is full of wonderful people.
So yes, I have resigned. The way that I have been describing it to those who have asked is like this: It’s like a sad breakup, we mostly still love each other (I hope) but one of us at least wants something different for now. And that’s ok.
Of course, there are reasons that you decide to leave a business, but if you are lucky enough to work for a great company and if you are true to yourself and choose to leave before you start to feel resentful or bitter, you can continue to provide the business with great value as well as do meaningful work that provides you with fulfilment and purpose throughout the notice period.
Accept that you will miss things about your old role
I will miss lots of the work and I will absolutely miss the legends that make Stanton House the business that it is, but my leaving will provide an opportunity for others and it will provide different benefits to Stanton House too.
Someone will lead the amazing People Team and take it to the next level, they will bring fresh ideas and energy and benefit from a group of super-talented people supporting them to do the great things that they plan to achieve and I will grow in another direction too.
Leave the ‘right way'
Over the years, when I have interviewed prospective employees, the question that I am most frequently asked is ‘What do you love about Stanton House?’ and my answer is always the same. I love what we stand for, I love how we go about doing business, I love how we treat each other; with expertise, care and fairness and I love that we always do the right thing by people. Ultimately, I feel proud to be so closely associated with Stanton House and to have worked for such an amazing, values-driven business for as long as I have. Yes, I am leaving but that sense of pride will never change.
So now, when planning for my handover, I am mostly concerned with leaving as much as I can in the best possible state for whoever picks it up after me. My diary has got a little quieter, partly due to me removing myself from different projects and comms streams and partly because I am no longer involved in decisions that impact the company. The latter I miss already, but you can’t have it all ways.
I appreciate that my experience is not the norm. When many people resign from a business, they might have completely disengaged and so sit back and coast for the duration of the notice period. For me, this doesn’t speak to leaving in the right way. I have a contract; the business has never not honoured their side of it and I will never not honour mine. Thinking about doing the right thing throughout my notice period doesn’t look like sitting back and watching daytime TV, this doesn’t look like long lunches, apart from maybe in my last week, enjoyed with colleagues. It doesn’t look like doing nothing. It is the complete opposite.
“You don’t just stop caring about a business and the people in it because you have decided to leave”
You don’t just stop caring about a business and the people in it because you have decided to leave, assuming of course that as I have, you have been treated well throughout your employment. I hope that leaving in this way will help me to maintain many of the great relationships that I have forged and with the professional door open should my path cross with that of Stanton House in the future.
So why do I feel this warmth when ultimately, I have chosen to leave? Well, it goes back to values, both mine and those of the business, and when corporate values really live and when they align with your own, then so much is possible. Why? Because values guide behaviours and they are the bedrock of great business culture.
So, I guess, the point of all this is… if, as a business, you understand your values, work hard to embed and uphold them, make sure that everyone understands how they apply to them, be true to them and don’t waiver, then even the saddest of professional breakups can feel ok for everyone in the end.
What didn’t I know when I decided to resign?
- That it would be such an emotional process!
- The resignation itself takes a mighty amount of bravery. It is never nice telling someone that ultimately, they are not what you want any longer. Your amygdala (the emotional response part of your brain) tells you to run for the hills and hide!
- That despite following your gut and making the decision that you know is right for you, you will still go through the grief curve – every bit of it! I cried for about 2 weeks!
- That you are more valued than you think you are.
- This is something for businesses to think about, how can you help people to feel great about themselves in the work that they do as often as possible?
What has helped?
- Me: I made my decision quickly but not without deep thought. This has kept the process very clean and very straightforward.
- Company: I was listened to when I resigned. My decision was respected, and I was not treated any differently after that initial resignation conversation.
- Company: People reached out and shared appreciation with me for the job that I have done and the impact that I have had. This meant the world and has provided even greater motivation to leave things in the best shape possible.
- Company: Values drive how people treat each in every interaction and that has been my lived experience throughout my resignation process and notice period so far.
So, it’s not farewell, just a ta ta for now, I’ll see you all soon.
If you’re looking for a new opportunity, be sure to check out our latest roles or reach out to Meg Appleby to learn more about current opportunities at Stanton House.
