Leaving gracefully

Gentlemen,

Ive been building up to this for a few years.
The last two have taken a toll on my physical and mental health.
Working 18-20 hours a day seems to finally be paying off but my personal life has suffered.
Im in a healthy (Im FAR from rich) debt free situation. No mortgage, all equipment is owned.

I intend on submitting my resignation to my present employer. The last 5 years have seen a significant change in the culture of the shop, more towards toxic.
I have established a number of very positive contacts through word of mouth, and business dealings.

I feel that now is the right time to go on my own.

As a business owner, what would you like to see from one of your top tier guys when he decides its time?
Do you understand the reasons why he may feel the necessity of doing his own thing? Can you appreciate that?
Willingness to stay on until people can be trained, or can immediately for "not being on the bus"

Would you be willing to maintain a positive relationship with a former employee (perhaps sharing some work?) I am capable of work the day job can not do, and vice versa.

I am by no means looking to leech work, or steal customers. That to me is the worst kind of karma.

I love where I work, I really enjoy most of the people, but the culture is just not good for me.

Do i REALLY let the owner know why Im leaving (shitty management, and they have been told that by almost everyone), or do I play nice and say Im just not challenged enough (I had brought this up before, with no change)?

Kind of scary leaving the nursery, but I got this

You're asking to have a positive relation and maybe share work with your current employer but then ask if you should tell him about a toxic environment and shitty management. Don't think that's going to fly.
Just tell him it's time to move on, you're likely not the first employee to leave and won't be the last. If you want, tell him that you are flexible about how long you'd stay to train or find a replacement. Leave it up to your employer to tell you what he'd like. I never wanted guys around that weren't motivated so when someone told me that they wanted to leave it'd be asap.

Don't burn your bridges behind you.

Tom

If you are starting your own business, I'd suggest you explain that and leave it at that. Tell him you are willing to stay the standard two weeks or ask about how long he wants you to stick around. Tell him that if he gets behind you would even like to be able to maintain the relationship and be given a chance to bid on some of the work.

If you have already brought up concerns about management there really isn't any point in bringing it up again.

Steve

sean9c said:

You're asking to have a positive relation and maybe share work with your current employer but then ask if you should tell him about a toxic environment and shitty management. Don't think that's going to fly.
Just tell him it's time to move on, you're likely not the first employee to leave and won't be the last. If you want, tell him that you are flexible about how long you'd stay to train or find a replacement. Leave it up to your employer to tell you what he'd like. I never wanted guys around that weren't motivated so when someone told me that they wanted to leave it'd be asap.

Click to expand...

To induce context;
Dealing with a new owner of a previous family owned business.
I had intended to leave months ago, due to the hands off approach of previous owners during a very rapid growth cycle.
Stayed on due to the optics of leaving immediately as new ownership is announced.
He KNOWS now that the environment is anointed by previously selected leadership, and that the environment has become toxic because of it.
There have been fewer than 10 employees leave since the early 60's.
This is a retire shop "unicorn"
I'm still motivated to do what I do. Ill go in to program and run 3 or 4 machines at once, that is just who I am.

Not talking about your average job shop here. This is one of the top precision shops in Canada, if not north america.

Leave quietly and politely. Thank them for many good years, and be honest about what you are going to do.

My dad worked for Boss 2, who worked for Boss 1. He tendered his resignation to Boss 1.

He left Company A for Company B, who was bought by Company C,who was purchased by Company D, who spun part of the company to Company E, who sold his division to Company F, who formed a joint venture with Company A, where he then reported directly to Boss 1. It took the better part of 25 years.

TDegenhart said:

Don't burn your bridges behind you.

Tom

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Absolutely no intention of burning bridges. As SteveF mentions below, its already been brought up, so no need to rehash things.

SteveF said:

If you are starting your own business, I'd suggest you explain that and leave it at that. Tell him you are willing to stay the standard two weeks or ask about how long he wants you to stick around. Tell him that if he gets behind you would even like to be able to maintain the relationship and be given a chance to bid on some of the work.

If you have already brought up concerns about management there really isn't any point in bringing it up again.

Steve

Click to expand...

I stayed on at my last employer for 6 weeks to make sure the moulds under my command were completed. And properly.
Its important to treat my employers, and co workers with the utmost respect.
No different than what I should expect for myself.

Macds -

I'd echo Steve's comments - and Tom's as well to not burn bridges. In addition, ask yourself if roles were reversed how would you like to be approached by an employee. Shoe might be on the other foot someday.

Other thing you might offer up is being flexible. When I retired from running an operation I had to retire twice - long story - but as a result I ended up cutting hours gradually. You won't want to drag it out as long as I did. But going down to 6 hours a day for 2 weeks, then 4 hours a day for for a couple weeks - just to help out in helping a replacement maybe? Just something to think about.

And good luck, have fun and keep positive. I've been on all sides (business owner, major company, etc.). Plus and minus to all of them. But good people seem to attract good people in any environment.

Dale

As many have said. As much as you'd like to, don't burn any bridges. This means lie about why you're leaving. Say it was great but you want to try something new, its time.
The biggest reason to keep he bridge intact completely is by some bizarre fate, things might not work out at your new job or they go broke, you will find yourself relying on your original employer for job reference. Especially if you've been there a long time. Theirs no fudging a lot of years on your resume.
Be super nice and respectful even if you feel the exact opposite. This will undoubtedly be the most important bootlicking of your life. Just do it and put it behind you. You'll never change a pinhead with a rant anyhow.

Give notice, say you're moving on to set up your own shop. No reason to rant about their deteriorating environment.

Who knows, if you do poorly on your own you may need the job back. If you set up well, they might kick work your way or you might kick work their way.

As soon as you walk out the door, their management decisions become not your problem.

Do what you gotta do, its just business, if you have enough of your own shop work or other opportunities that are more worth your time go for it.
Offer to help them out if they need, keep it honest and on good terms. I still do work for 2 previous employers, one I left almost 15yrs ago, but as soon as I was out, from there on I was billing through my company.

Everyone always goes on about burning bridges, IMHO if you want to go it alone, just do it. Its like solo mountain climbing, if your not tied on a fall will kill you hence it takes a completely different mind set, it makes you evaluate business risk differently and it makes you realize failure is not a option.

Yes leave professionally, but to leave for the reasons you state and want to do it in a way were you can go back there is IMHO fatal to your future prospects. If your not careful you end up with the option of having the previous job as a security blanket to fall back on. Hence with that you end up taking risks you should not which allows your business to fail.

Self employed is all about risk and evaluating the risk benefit ratio's, often in a pretty heartless matter of fact way. Hence my advice, walk in tend your resignation and tell them you will work out your notice period. Then see what they say and take it from there. This is business, not play group, hence you get to tend your resignation then they get to counter off if they wish.

Everyone wants to end relationships as friends with benfits status, generally if somethings ended its better to end and move on than drag it out. Sounds like your running your own shop too, IMHO you need to evaluate whats needed there and from when you leave you need to be focusing on your shop not theirs. You have given them ample time to fix the toxic nature of the place and they have been told this by others, hence sorry but grow a pair and start focusing on number 1, because your boss clearly is focusing on his problems not his staffs problems to let that environment occur.

Good luck with the new business it will be the best and worse thing you can professionally do.
Don't bring up anything negative keep everything positive with your resignation. Give the normal 2 week or month notice if you are management. Don't be upset if they ask you to leave right then. Offer to stay to finish up any of your projects and train a new replacement.
I have had a number of guys leave to start their own shops. I have helped a couple with work or materials to get them started. 1 was a 15 year supplier to me I gave him 5-10k worth of work every month..
In my situation I never viewed a guy leaving as a threat as we do large part work and not interested in small work. A guy with a bridgeport, small lathe and a Haas isn't going to do work in competition with a 6" hbm or 84" vtl .
If you are going to directly compete with your former employer ie same equipment, same customers don't be surprised if it gets heated in more ways than one.
I have even had suppliers ask me about doing business with the past employees new business. They wanted to know about the guys integrity and also didn't want to disturb our relationship.
You will quickly find most business owners with in a industry talk with each other and can be your best salesman or black ball you.
Just be honest and do what you would want someone to do to you.
Again good luck, I always enjoy seeing someone successful.
I was told 40+ years ago when I started in business. Under promise and over deliver. Never ever say anything negative about any other business you will do well.

I would start now before saying anything to remove any personal items you have. A friend of mine walked into HR and told them he was giving him 2 weeks notice and they gave him 2 weeks pay, took his keys and cell phone inside the room. They said they would send him his personal items in the mail. He was going to leave honorably and they didn't believe him.

Read Wheelieking71 thread, more than once


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When it comes to quiting a job its really simple... you put in your two weeks and say nothing else.

You mean pissing all over the owners desk would be wrong?

Seriously, don't burn any bridges. Three of my former bosses are now customers of mine.

I would keep quiet about starting my own shop, 9 times out of 10 that does not go over well. If even a package of pens turns up missing in the interim you will be the one blamed. It wasn't even in machining, I had an a-hole boss who found out I struck out on my own after quitting a sales job in the early 80's and he lied saying I had been stealing product from him. I got a visit from a couple detectives from the sheriff's department. I just showed receipts where I bought what I had in my possession and that satisfied them. They actually said they thought the guy was half crazy but they had to do their job.

Go the Cortez ship route, burn the bridge
It'll be a great motivator for you

You know the company better than we so likely haver seen someone else leave employment there and how the outfit reacted.
Qt: I feel that now is the right time to go on my own / have established a number of very positive contacts through word of mouth, and business dealings / perhaps sharing some work?
Retiring and even quitting is one thing is one thing but going into a similar business is another. *The relationship you think you have may change drastically with you perhaps becoming Competition.
re: You might steal methods, equipment, employees, customers, make bad comments about the company. Every thing changes...
I agree with Richard to: Take your valued thing before you make mention. Then if you know the owner perhaps put the nice things in a note/card.. I have enjoyed working here, can help train if you wish, would like to keep a good and friendly contact…
You could go to his office and tell in person but then you are open to him asking questions…you might mention that along with hobby work you might run/take a small job for him..

OT: Milverton looks like a nice place to live...

Do come back and tell us how it went..