You’re Fired!
Firings are like divorces—you’re splitting up for a reason. But you can still part ways respectfully. Make sure the firing is justified and fair and that employee will go away quietly and possibly respecting you (and less likely to return armed.)
And if you get fired, don’t hate. Just be mature and go. Before you blame “them,” check yourself. Maybe the place was a bad fit. Maybe you screwed up. Maybe you just needed to grow up. Whatever the case, just learn from it and move on.
And if you get fired, don’t hate. Just be mature and go. Before you blame “them,” check yourself. Maybe the place was a bad fit. Maybe you screwed up. Maybe you just needed to grow up. Whatever the case, just learn from it and move on.
I Quit.
At some point, you get sick of the same faces, the same tasks, and the same place. At some point, it’s just time to go. But even under the best circumstances, quitting can suck. Still, there’s a right way and a wrong way to blow town.
I think I’ve seen ‘em all: The face-to-face-curse-out-then-bounce. The sneaky two-word-email getaway. The surprise screw-this-job voicemail. And the classic two-weeks’-notice-ride-off-into-the-sunset special. Pops loved that one most. To him, taking any other route was blasphemy. “You give your two weeks like a man,” he’d say.
But the best one I ever heard came from “Joey,” our senior VP’s 21-year old son who worked in the mailroom. One day he says, “Wait until there’s one of those big executive meetings—the monthly ones with all the bosses… Walk in. Don’t say a word. Just turn your back to ‘em, drop your pants and bend over. Have, I QUIT written on your cheeks in big letters. Then pull up your pants and walk out.” Classic.
But me? I never did any of those. I just wrote a resignation letter that ended up all over the internet plus in a major industry trade. I even got a few job offers out of it. (Scout’s honor.) But when I wrote mine, my escape was all planned out. I’d saved some money, cut expenses, paid bills… I was ready. Or so I thought.
Truth be told, I wasn’t. I ended up on unemployment for a while, maybe 6 months. I ended up freelancing to make rent. Looking back, I should’ve planned better. Those “Me-against-the-world” manifestos only worked for Tupac and Jerry Maguire. So plan before you quit. Think things thru. Save some money. Lots of money. And to paraphrase pops: don’t burn bridges. Split on good terms. Don’t quit out of anger; quit out of focus, planning, and greener pastures. (By the way, they’re rarely greener.)
I think I’ve seen ‘em all: The face-to-face-curse-out-then-bounce. The sneaky two-word-email getaway. The surprise screw-this-job voicemail. And the classic two-weeks’-notice-ride-off-into-the-sunset special. Pops loved that one most. To him, taking any other route was blasphemy. “You give your two weeks like a man,” he’d say.
But the best one I ever heard came from “Joey,” our senior VP’s 21-year old son who worked in the mailroom. One day he says, “Wait until there’s one of those big executive meetings—the monthly ones with all the bosses… Walk in. Don’t say a word. Just turn your back to ‘em, drop your pants and bend over. Have, I QUIT written on your cheeks in big letters. Then pull up your pants and walk out.” Classic.
But me? I never did any of those. I just wrote a resignation letter that ended up all over the internet plus in a major industry trade. I even got a few job offers out of it. (Scout’s honor.) But when I wrote mine, my escape was all planned out. I’d saved some money, cut expenses, paid bills… I was ready. Or so I thought.
Truth be told, I wasn’t. I ended up on unemployment for a while, maybe 6 months. I ended up freelancing to make rent. Looking back, I should’ve planned better. Those “Me-against-the-world” manifestos only worked for Tupac and Jerry Maguire. So plan before you quit. Think things thru. Save some money. Lots of money. And to paraphrase pops: don’t burn bridges. Split on good terms. Don’t quit out of anger; quit out of focus, planning, and greener pastures. (By the way, they’re rarely greener.)
I’m walkin’ thru the door—ain’t comin’ back no more.
—Mya
—Mya
Well that’s it for this one. Break-ups suck. But just because money and careers are involved doesn’t mean people can’t or shouldn’t part ways with humanity and respect.
Now, let’s get ready for the B-side…
Darling you got to let me know,
Should I stay or should I go?
—The Clash
Should I stay or should I go?
—The Clash
