You’ve done it. You’ve landed yourself a great offer at an exciting new company that will challenge and inspire you to achieve greatness. You’ve deliberated the pros and cons of a new career choice, and know you’re heading to greener pastures. The details are ironed out, you’ve drafted your 2 weeks notice, and mapped your new commute...now you just need to break the news to your boss.

Preparation

Having a game plan before you say anything is crucial to the transition process, as it’ll allow you to act with purpose and dignity, defend against any hesitation dropping this news on your boss, and assure the meeting ends on a positive and professional note.

First, know that delivering the news in person is the right thing to do. It shows you respect your boss enough to not wimp out of a difficult meeting, and is much more tactful than sending an email. In the instance you cannot meet face-to-face, a scheduled phone call is the next best thing.

Make sure to consider all possible scenarios carefully long before you sit down in the conference room. Your boss will ask why, could be angry or scarily calm, beg, threaten, or tempt you with a counter-offer. If you’ve truly considered your reasons for leaving, and know you won’t be fulfilled at your current company the way you will be at your next...stick to your guns. Why waste all that time and effort you spent into procuring this new offer by being easily swayed? Plan answers ahead of time, along with logical explanations of why you are set on your path.

Having a game plan in mind when you enter the room will also focus you and help you accomplish your task. If you want to be done and done, deliver the news quickly and professionally. If you want to have a conversation about your reasons for leaving, this is a good opportunity to be honest...to a degree.

In the Room

Leave whatever grudges, emotions, pain points, or bitterness you have at the door. The goal is to make this meeting as painless and graceful as possible. It can be tempting to vent frustrations or focus on the negative, but why pointlessly burn a bridge? It’ll leave a bad taste in your boss’ mouth, and could lose you a reference down the line. Keep things succinct and positive, and centered on yourself. Remember that you are striding towards a new opportunity, rather than running from a nest of problems.

Prepare a short concise letter of resignation to hand your boss in your meeting. When you resign, it is important that you firmly state your intent and do not waver in your presentation to you manager.  Present your position as clearly as possible: “The time has come for me to move my career in a different direction. After much deliberation with my family, I have accepted an opportunity and my last day of employment will be on (insert date). Please know that my decision is solely based on what I feel is best for my career. Please accept my letter of resignation and I ask that you respect my decision and not present a counter offer”.

Your boss will most likely ask for specifics: “Where are you going?” “Why are you leaving?” “How much are they offering you?”. Try to leave those details out of the conversation, as to avoid providing leverage for negotiation. Besides, your boss is not entitled to that information, and if they get too probing, even a simple “this is a better opportunity for me and my career” is an appropriate and (more importantly) respectful explanation. The ball is in your court, and pleasant professionalism is the best way to hold onto it, especially in the face of a...

Counter-offer

If you are needed, you will receive a counter offer.  Remember, if you’ve invested the time to seek out a new opportunity, then you have real reasons for leaving your current position. You are most likely not leaving for the money. Yet, most counter offers are for more money. An extra few thousand dollars will not change the reasons for your departure.

At this point your company is persistently trying to change your mind. It is your decision whether to consider a counter-offer, so hear them out. The most important detail is making sure you know the real motivation behind why they’re extending the offer to you. If they want to keep you because they really value you as a person, then great! If it’s to save their asses in the short term, make sure you know that’s the case.

No matter what the counter-offer is, it is important to respond in the following manner: “I appreciate what you are doing for me, but I’ve already committed to this new role. If it turns out I’ve made a mistake a few weeks down the line, would that offer still stand?”

Again, if they value you as a person, you will hear a resounding affirmative. If their motivation is self-interest, they’ll give you a deadline in which to make that decision. Either way, you’ve left that bridge unburnt in case you do need to return to your old job, or you’ve found out that the people you work with don’t really care about you or your career. Graciously thank them for the consideration but stand firm that you have already made the commitment and will do everything possible to smooth the transition.

It’s never easy to break up with a company, but carefully measuring your options and deciding on the best path for you will give you the resolve you need to gracefully and professionally step away from your role on good terms, and will herald an auspicious start to this new chapter in your career.

Rick Girard is the Managing Director and Founder of Stride Search, a boutique software talent search firm. While not running a School for Gifted Mutants, he creates valuable content for Hiring Managers and Job Seekers alike to elevate industry standards of exclusive professional search.