How to Say Farewell to Your Colleagues
When it's your time to go, how do you want to be remembered?
Slow down, we're not talking about that time. We're talking about the day you decide to call it quits. Cash in your vacation pay. Tell the boss to ....
Seriously, there is a right way and wrong way to say goodbye to your colleagues. Here are some dos and don'ts so they won't be dancing on your grave when you're gone:
Do Say Thank You
It's a good idea to leave with as much good will as possible. Even if you plan to leave the law forever, you don't want bad law karma to follow you. If you're not the handshake type, just use your keyboard. A grateful group email will cover a multitude of sins -- especially if nobody really knows you anyway.
Do Leave Contact Info
Hopefully, you will want to stay in touch with some colleagues. At a minimum, give them your personal email. If you have a new work number, you can put that out there, too. But you may not want to put a personal phone number in open letter.
Don't Throw a Party
Don't plan on a going-away party. It would be like planning your own surprise party. That's just sad. A little after work, get-together at a local coffee shop would be fine. No liquor, and nobody gets in trouble back at the office.
Don't Stir the Pot
If your departure is not entirely friendly -- as in you're fired, don't come back, and get please your crap out of the office now -- there are still right ways and wrongs ways to leave a building.
Elvis did it in style, and so can you. Just say, "thank you very much" and try not to sing as you head for the exit. It's not like you wanted to stay anyway.
Oh, and don't tell the boss what you really think as you carefully close the door behind you.
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