What employees can learn from Sarah Palin's resignation

July 4, 3:12 AMSF Workplace Communication ExaminerKenya McCullum

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Workplace Communication Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Whether Sarah Palin can stretch her notoriety into a successful presidential run remains to be seen.
AP Photo/Runner's World, Brian Adams

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s sudden resignation is a good reminder of how to leave a job without burning any bridges. During her press conference yesterday, she exhibited some behaviors that can make resigning from a job a comfortable experience, as well as others that people should try to avoid.

In “Job Resignation Do's and Don'ts” and “Resigning with Class: How to Diplomatically Resign from Your Job,” author Dr. Randall S. Hansen, founder of Quintessential Careers, discusses the best ways to part company with an employer. Based on his advice, there were several things that Palin said to the public yesterday that illustrate best practices to follow when resigning from a position.
 

• Palin gave proper notice. It’s always respectful to give your employer enough notice when you resign, which is usually two to four weeks. Palin said that she will not leave office until July 26, which would be considered plenty of time at most companies.
• Palin promised to ensure a smooth transition for her successor, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell. In the workplace, Hansen suggests that, if possible, employees help to find their replacement and get them trained before departing.
• Although Palin didn’t mention why she decided to announce her resignation during a long holiday weekend, some surmise that she is trying to get out of dodge before an embezzlement scandal becomes public. Most employees won’t have these worries, but they may have a comparable problem when resigning from a job—the reaction of their employer. Hansen advises employees to prepare themselves for the possibility that their boss will overreact to the news—and in some cases, employees should be prepared to be told to leave immediately.

On the other hand, Palin also exhibited behaviors that resigning employees should try to steer clear of:

• Palin discussed her relationship to the press and how “political operatives descended on Alaska last August digging for dirt.” Time will tell if these kinds of statements will come back to bite her, but burning bridges when you quit your job may gnaw on your career. It may feel great to tell your boss or coworkers what you really think about them, but Hansen suggests that you keep things professional during your last days on the job. As they say, the people you step on going up the ladder may be the same people you encounter on the way back down.
• Palin gave a number of reasons for resigning, but you shouldn’t feel obligated to. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to discuss why you are leaving your job.

Poll: Was Sarah Palin's resignation unprofessional?

Related Reading:
E-mail etiquette and the mailboxes of Sarah Palin, Mark Sanford, and Elizabeth Becton
E-mail etiquette do's and don'ts

More Workplace Communication:
Why texting and job hunting don’t mix
New York Goes to Work on VH1: Characteristics of difficult employees
What the #%@&!?: The problem of profanity in the workplace
The importance of nonverbal communication during job interviews
Bosses afraid to communicate

Subscribe via RSS or e-mail.