Have the solo dreams in your head overwhelmed the fears and concerns about finding clients, being on your own, and generally calling the shots in your own law practice? You’re finally ready to make the shift – congratulations! But while you’re planning your new life – and plan you should – take a moment to plan for your resignation of your current job.
There’s a right way, and there are a whole bunch of wrong ways to cut the apron strings, and which option you choose can have a serious impact on not only your own sense of wellbeing and confidence, but also your financial bottom line. You want to keep the relationships going, even if you work for Satan currently and don’t want anything to do with anyone in your firm, ever again. So here’s a 10-step plan to make your transition out of your job and into your practice as smooth, conflict-free, and positive as possible.
- It might be tempting to send a scorched earth letter like this one, or worse. Here’s a suggestion: take a moment to write that letter, and get it out of your system. Hold nothing back. Use foul language, the razor’s edge of your meanest wit, whatever feels good. Print it off. Sign it. And – here’s the crucial part – shred it immediately, and delete the file off your laptop (and of course, you used your own home computer for this particular piece of correspondence). The simple act of getting it off your chest can help exorcise the bad feelings; the act of shredding (or even more mythically, burning it, albeit in a safe fireproof container) signifies your emotional release of that negativity.
- Before you say a word to anyone at work about quitting, make your plan. Sketch out your timeline, and figure out how much “off time” you might need to transition. Consider any leave you’ve accumulated and whether you’ll be able to cash that out or use it up before going. How much notice should you give? That depends on your relationship with your boss, and your boss him- or herself. Does she have the reputation for going ballistic on people who quit? Then make sure you do it at the last possible moment and have everything prepared for your departure before telling her. Is he likely to get panicked about replacements and transition plans? Then you might want to give him a bit more notice than the traditional two weeks. Consider these points, and make a timeline.
- Make a list of all active files you’re working on and what needs to be done both before and after your leave. This serves two purposes – one, a checklist of your tasks prior to D-Day and two, proof to the powers to be that you’ve been thinking about their interests all along.
- Resist the temptation to vent, especially to coworkers, no matter how sympathetic they might be. The temptation to blab might be too much for those left behind, especially when there’s a perceived bump in their own status for tattling to the boss. Say nothing negative at all. If you can’t find anything positive, then rely on the old chestnut: “It’s just time to move on.”
- Start cleaning out your office prior to giving notice. Be discreet about this – you don’t want to do anything obvious, so go in small batches, and take only the things that no one would miss. This helps you clear out the small stuff, so you’ve not stuck hauling off tons of boxes on your last day.
- Clean up your files. Be very careful here. Don’t mess with firm property, of course, but for your own files, you can and should go through and remove personal notes, doodles, etc. Make sure things are in proper order, and all your case files have been returned to their proper places in central filing. You may also want to make copies of your own work product – both hard and digital for your future reference.
- Reread any firm policies that bear on your resignation and ensure you’re following them to the letter. What you’re after is the exquisitely high road; you want, the day after you leave, for the general consensus to be warm and fuzzy about you and how you conducted yourself. If there are any tendencies in any senior personnel to make an enemy of you, you want to leave them a scrupulous trail with no hint of error.
- Tell the boss first, no exceptions. Don’t even allow yourself the merest whisper of a thought of telling someone else first, no matter how trustworthy you think they are.
- Recognize your departure is going to impact others; make an effort to let them know that, and to ease their burdens. Make a list of things the others ought to know regarding ongoing case work. Do your level best to accomplish work ahead of time, even if it means a few late nights. It will be noticed and appreciated.
- Whatever else you do, maintain a strictly positive attitude and stay on message. Project confidence about your plans for the future. Don’t run off at the mouth about how excited you are, but if asked, it’s perfectly appropriate to exhibit some enthusiasm for your future plans. Use the opportunity to practice your elevator speech! Who knows? These could be future clients, and at the very least will be future referral sources for you. Make them feel good about sending people they know to you.
What about exit interviews? I think they’re a waste of time, frankly. But if you agree to one, you must not say anything remotely negative about the company or anyone in it. Those statements have a way of haunting you later. Take the time now to plan your exit, and carry out that plan as graciously and as on-point as possible. Doing so gives you good practice for being the boss, and acting in a leadership capacity. But when all’s said and done, enjoy that time. There’s a real sweetness to it that’s unparalleled in the work world.
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