The good in goodbye: Prolong your professional shelf life with a good resignation

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct 15, 2006, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

KING Henry VIII sent two of his six wives to the executioner for beheading. Even if Queen Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Seymour may have denied in their farewell message any imputed wrongdoing, they both hailed the king and wished him long life, perhaps in the hope of royal clemency. Resigned as they were to their fate, they exemplified graciousness worthy of emulation of anyone who wishes to resign.

Don't treat your resignation as a date with the guillotine. Instead, use the experience to sharpen your career blade. Your goodbye can be your welcome mat to other opportunities such as sustained relationships, job leads, and income prospects.

After working nonstop for 10 years, I decided to take a brief break from the 8 to 5. I resigned, with the decision to concentrate on my consulting so that I can enjoy some rest while earning at the same time. Here are some tips that can turn your resignation into a career-sustaining move:

1. Submit your resignation at least 30 days before your intended date of departure. You are complying with the Labor Code and demonstrating good faith to the company as well. Do not broadcast your resignation. There is time for that.

2. E-mail your colleagues a personal farewell note a day prior to your departure. Thank them sincerely. The note should never exceed three brief paragraphs.

3. Avoid emotional notes. They suck the energy out of the reader. Try light and easy.

4. Include your forwarding address, e-mail, and phone numbers. If you have a website or blog, include the link and ask them to visit the sites. Make sure that your website and blog will help propel your career not jeopardize it. No offensive content, please.

5. Inform them of what you intend to do post-resignation. The best activities are consulting and volunteering. It tells them that you intend to remain productive while enjoying some down time.

6. Let them know if you're looking for a job. Ask for referrals.

7. If you resigned because another company has hired you and are proud of it, then mention it. But be aware beforehand of your new company's nondisclosure requirement. Don't blow your cover if you joined the Secret Service.

8. If you have pending applications, let your prospect companies know that you have resigned and that you'll be ready to join your next company. This works especially when you have been short-listed and their decision has not been forthcoming. Do not sound as if you resigned because you are anticipating that one of your prospect companies will hire you readily. Observe subtlety and delicadeza. See No. 7.

9. If they reply, respond in kind. Tell the sender how his or her message affects you. See No. 3.

10. Leave an "out of office" auto-reply in your official e-mail so that letter senders will not be misled. See No. 4.

11. If you have a rift with a colleague, see him personally for a pleasant closure.

For these tips to work, it is assumed that you performed well in your job, related well with your colleagues, and are leaving the company under friendly circumstances.

Coping with office noise

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(Published in the Job Market-Working People section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 26, 2006, Sunday)

By Roel Andag

Contributor

Create your own bubble in a corporate wild

YOUR own office, with its own door, is your bubble that insulates you from sounds of the corporate wilderness -- dings, rings, deets, taps, whirrs, and office babble. Your office bubble is your island of peace -- a sanctuary that others can penetrate only with your permission.

What if you do not have an enclosed office but rather a cubicle with chest-level walls and surround-sound feature right in the middle of noise central?

Our response will vary depending on the stimulus, primarily the nature of the job and office culture. Kristina, a former call center team leader, escapes to the sleeping lounge or an empty conference room to shut off the noise. Rochel, a high school teacher says: "I focus on the task at hand. It's very difficult because it's as if I'm in the middle of an ocean with all the waves crashing on me." Ramil, who heads the research department of an NGO, tries his best not to let office noise overwhelm him. Nieva, a director in a government agency, insists on keeping communication lines open at all levels of the organization.

Perhaps, only the most jaded will not get a bit distracted from time to time. The faint-hearted might self-destruct.

How do you build your office bubble? How do you keep it from bursting? How do you regulate interaction without offending colleagues?

Some tips:

1. Listen to soothing music. Use earphones.

2. Punch in early so you can enjoy some calm moments in the morning, no matter how brief. You can also go out early to pursue after-office interests that reenergize you.

3. Write down your agenda before talking to an officemate about official business.This also applies when making phone calls.

4. When the conversation strays, politely ask the other party to excuse you so that you can finish a task and beat the deadline.

5. Prioritize your tasks. Attend to e-mails and phone calls first. People tend to be energetic and clear-minded in the morning.

6. Declutter your desk. Organize with boxes, folders, and a memory stick.

7. Make an effort to interact with colleagues only during lunch and coffee breaks. This helps establish in their minds when you block off quality time with them. Managing your interactions, you will be attuned to office goings-on while being less prone to getting involved in office politics. Overall, this will strengthen your professional reputation.

8. Officemates sometimes get carried away. When they laugh too loud or when the guy in the adjacent cubicle blasts his music, pick up the phone receiver and pretend you're having a conversation with a pretend client. Politely ask your officemates to tone it down. On occasions, play your own music. Use earphones.

9. Discuss your concern with your supervisor. Emphasize the adverse effect of the noise on your productivity. If this does not solve the problem, seek help from the HR manager.

10. If all else fails, resign and look for a workplace with a meditative or monastic atmosphere -- perhaps a library, spa, or retreat center.

Recently, it was reported that a man threatened to commit suicide by jumping from a high billboard on Edsa. Authorities set up nets on the ground to soften his fall and save his life. The man descended from his suicidal perch after hours of negotiations. Perhaps he realized the nets and cushions beneath him will prevent his death. The police superintendent told reporters that they no longer asked the man the reason for his death wish. They respect his privacy, the police official said.

Office noise, especially at intolerable levels, erodes task motivation and poses health threats. Don't wait until you are ready to jump off the edge for safety nets to be spread beneath you.

Building an office bubble may not be easy. And even if you did, it might burst anytime. But once you do, and are able to keep it puncture-free, your 8 to 5 life will be less stressful and more enjoyable.

(The author is the program and communications manager of Schering Philippine Corporation. Feedback at r_andag@yahoo.com.)