Five things to do after you inform your boss you’re leaving

You’ve decided to leave your job, and you’ve told your boss. But once you’ve gotten through that difficult conversation, you have to figure out how to tell others.

Here’s how to leave with class:

Have a rough game plan that you’ve discussed with your manager before you start telling people that you’re leaving. That way you can address questions about what might happen to your portfolio, your team or your clients.

Email may feel like second nature these days, but there’s no substitute for telling people face to face, especially those closest to you at work and those who work under you. The same goes for work mentors, close friends on the job and peers whose jobs may be affected by your departure.

If the reason for your departure isn’t the most positive, resist the urge to vent or bad-mouth people on the way out. When people inevitably ask why you are leaving, respond with answers like “It was just time for me to move on.”

If you have someone on your team that wants more responsibility, tap them and encourage them to step up.

Don’t sully your hard-won reputation by slacking off in your final few weeks. Go out on a high note by making sure that files and clients are transferred in a timely and organised fashion and that deadlines won’t be overlooked in your absence.

(Adapted from “What to Do After You Tell Your Boss You’re Leaving” at HBR.org.) – © 2016 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp