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07:47 AM
Bikram Vohra
JournalismPakistan.com
September 13, 2014
One of the most satisfying tasks for any working person is writing a resignation letter. There is so much essence to it, that final cut of the rope, so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye, I am glad to go, I cannot tell a lie.
Almost as much fun as there is in composing a love letter. I know, I have done so many of them (resignations, not love letters) and I like to think that each is a poem, a last roll of the drums as I march out of the premises.
Most of us write awful resignations. Full of hypocritical little clichés, ultimately ending up with cloying gratitude and that lie that we are truly grateful for all the kindnesses bestowed upon us. Rubbish.
If you are going to leave at least go in style. Let your letter be a professional epitaph. Chisel it to perfection. Why would you settle for standard stuff and ruin the chance to have your turn with the bat. Brevity is the best option: Dear Sir, As of today I am on notice. Take care.
Exquisite stuff.
Especially if it is coming without warning. The mystique of not letting anyone know why you are leaving, massive ripples of speculation, everyone on the defensive, no long and boring explanations.
Most of us cannot do it that way. We need to say too much, to whine and moan about our reasons, diluting the whole impact.
Who cares once you are leaving, why you are leaving. Corporate structures dump you the moment your letter is received. You are written off and those five pages of dribble mock you rather than provide grand insight into the reasons for your departure. Not only is the style of the resignation important but the courtesy given to it matters in the long run. Never use it as a weapon because you are angry. Never rattle it off on the spur of the moment and then be compelled to take it back.
People who take back their resignations are not likely to be taken seriously. Remember one thing. A good company might refuse to accept your letter and charm you into carrying on. You go back home believing you have won. Not so. You were ready to go and, therefore, you are no longer totally trustworthy. Such a company will rightly seek a replacement for you and then slide you out. So, don’t resign until you mean it. There are several cases of people who gave in without realizing that all their company was doing.
(The writer is a Senior Editorial Advisor of Khaleej Times and the paper’s former Editor. He has also been the Editor of Gulf News, Gulf Today, Emirates Today and Bahrain Tribune)
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