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If you check my post history, I am in a bit of situation where I am supposed meet my boss next week to discuss the performance improvement plan & give him the signed contract which outlines my problems & basically says that I will get a one strike & after that if any of the things happen or something that's deemed not okay by my boss then I will be terminated.

I assessed the situation in all possible ways & only thing I think is I want to resign. It's obvious now that my future with the company is probably finished & there's little to no growth opportunity left now.

So how do I go in there and handle everything diplomatically? I don't want to burn any bridges & I just want to leave on a good note. I certainly have my fair share of shortcomings & I will be sure to fix them for my future employer.

I am also afraid that my manager will think I am just giving up. I am just worrying too much right?

Also, is there anything I need to watch out for when I tender my resignation given my situation?

user3777390
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  • @DanPichelman I don't think it is about writing a letter but approaching my boss given the situation I am in. – user3777390 Feb 20 '17 at 19:50
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    You write the letter and you hand it to your boss in person. He's going to need the resignation in writing anyway. – Dan Pichelman Feb 20 '17 at 20:04
  • Like I mentioned in the comment to the answer posted, sole reason I asked this question is that I don't have a way with words & I want to use my words carefully. – user3777390 Feb 20 '17 at 20:23
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    Lots of good answers in that other question and Dan's right. He's going to want it in writing. That said, I wouldn't resign. Go through the motions and find another job ASAP. It's easier to find another job when you can say "no" to "may we contact your current employer". Once you're gone, you have to explain a lot more. If you're still there, you can chalk it up to personality conflicts, lack of challenge, whatever you want. – Chris E Feb 20 '17 at 20:23
  • @ChristopherEstep If I resign, I can always say to my future employer that I wanted something new & that's why I quit. If I go through PIP, I will be on the hook for 60 days & what if I can't find a job during that period? – user3777390 Feb 20 '17 at 20:30
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    @user3777390 resign at 50 days? It might be dependent on your location, but here we can leave at-will. I'm just saying that it'll be easier in those 2 months to say "I want to find something new" when they won't be inclined to call your current employer. – Chris E Feb 20 '17 at 20:36
  • @ChristopherEstep Yeah I can do that, yes but I don't want to be at their will during that period. They can terminate me on even a minute thing that they deem not okay and I will have a bloat on my work history & at that point I might not have job offer from outside. – user3777390 Feb 20 '17 at 20:46
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    the bridges are already on fire – Kilisi Feb 20 '17 at 21:24
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    @user3777390 You've already got a blot on your record from this place, make the most of it. Seriously. Use the next 50 days to job hunt, find other people there who WILL be good references for you and pretend to work on your PIP tasks. If you don't find a job before your time is up, you'll still be ahead of where you would be if you just quit. Remember, it's easy to say, "Don't contact my current employer", but you can't really say, "Don't contact my former employer." If you quit now, you can tell any story you want about quitting before looking, but what will your manager say when they call – DLS3141 Feb 20 '17 at 22:07
  • @DLS3141 I am curious about one thing, I am still in touch with his predecessor, my former boss with whom I had a great relationship. Let's say I resign and the future employer asks me for a reference, can I put my former boss as a reference who worked in same position? – user3777390 Feb 20 '17 at 23:50
  • @user3777390 I'm not the one to ask, your former supervisor is. But how do you think it will look when a potential employer discovers that your former supervisor was not your most recent supervisor? You should spend the next 50 some days getting your references in order, asking people if they'd provide a reference. That and getting your resume out and circulating while you still have a job and a paycheck. – DLS3141 Feb 21 '17 at 00:39
  • @DLS3141 Only thing worries me is what if I don't survive the 60 day period? Termination will be a big question mark for the future employer. – user3777390 Feb 21 '17 at 00:59
  • So? You've already got a black mark from the PIP, resigning preemptively won't mitigate the circumstances of your departure. And who says you have to stay the full 60 days? Resign on day 59. Heck, resign on day 60 an hour before your meeting. If you get terminated before, so what? It was going to happen anyway, but use the time to recruit references inside the company from among your co workers. Along with job hunting and getting paid. – DLS3141 Feb 21 '17 at 01:05

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Diplomacy is largely equal to tact plus equality. I don't think anyone can tell you exactly what to say, but the general idea in this case, to minimize any burnt bridge effects, would be to acknowledge that you agree with at least the bulk of the assessment of the situation, but on reflecting you think the best corrective course is probably for you to seek a fresh start. That you appreciate the opportunity within the organization to try to turn the situation around, but with the reputation and situation you are in, you just do not feel you would ever be able to reach either the expectations of the organization or your own. Something in this realm, tailored in your own words, graciously presented and how you think would be best accepted by your manager.

In bridge burning, I would never expect positive referrals from your current managers, but at least you would not leave them with a sour taste that might lead them to actively black-ball you. It is even possible, but unlikely, that if you act graciously and sincerely, that the would ask you to reconsider and they would try to provide a mentor to help you through. A resignation rather than a signed form would not be uncommon or really unexpected by them to be honest, and how well it is received is largely on your presentation. Often, it is actually the outcome they want, and if not, that is when they could offer the mentoring option.

dlb
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  • I think that's more or less the answer I was looking for. I intend to leave with respect that's for sure, so I don't think that would be a problem. Only reason I asked this question is I am really bad with words & I want to use my words carefully. – user3777390 Feb 20 '17 at 20:17