Joining an organisation and leaving it, are two milestone events in your career graph. The former is brimming with nervous excitement and hopes that your time in the company will be fruitful. The latter comes with reflection, and the weight of lessons learnt, a majority of this happens during your notice period.
When you are professionally moving on to what may seem like greener pastures for you, you must do so with elegance. It is understandable that sometimes, things can go wrong between you and your manager, leading to an unpleasant exit. But still, leave with as much dignity and unburnt bridges as you can.
Here are things you should never do in your notice period if you want to be remembered fondly and have professional connections that last.
1) Becoming demotivated
Often, when you’ve put your papers down, mentally you’ve already checked out. It means that you may be serving notice but you aren’t fully there, working half-heartedly. This can negatively reflect on you because everybody works well when they need the job, but it says a lot about your work ethics when you do so while leaving it behind.
2) Badmouth your company, boss, and colleagues
By talking down your current company and colleagues, you’re just leaving behind verbal trash that will only leave you and others with negative residual feelings. Why hold grudges? Everyone clashes at some point. And now that it is all almost over, are these grudges worth making you feel negative about your job or ruining the connections that can help you later? I’d say not.
3) Leaving behind incomplete work
It is only considerate and responsible to complete your work and make it as easy as possible for the person who will be replacing you. It will only make people see you as an ethical and responsible person. And the next person will thank you too!
4) Losing your cool
The notice period can often be frustrating for many. You’ve mentally checked out, you’re probably being given a lot more work than usual and you are just waiting for it to end. However, losing your cool and behaving unprofessionally isn’t worth it. Keep your cool and just wait it out.
5) Not saying official goodbyes
Whether due to social awkwardness or grudges or any other reason, if you are planning to take a silent exit, it’s a big mistake. Say goodbyes. Write an official email or individually thank every individual that helped you grow and flourish. Thank people who made your bad days better, and even those who may have been stricter with you. This will help them get closure, and even mend the severed professional relationships you may have had with people.
Also Read: The Side-Effects Of Attaching Your Self-Worth To Your Career