How to conclude a process professionally

All good things—and bad things—come to an end. Whether it’s graduating, leaving your job, or ending your volunteer position, at some point you will have to turn the responsibilities of the role over to others. How you handle the transition says a lot about you and can greatly affect how others remember you.

Provide timely notice. When you decide to leave, consider who will be affected. If relevant, review your onboarding documents to see how much notice you are required to give. Remember that the more senior you are in your role, the longer it will take to replace you. You will likely tell your supervisor first, and that conversation may involve negotiating when you will leave, what you will do before you go, and how and when to tell others.

Work to the end. Work with your colleagues to create a transition plan in which others gradually take on some of your responsibilities. Even though you are leaving, you’re still part of the organization or team. Continue working as hard as ever, finishing up as much as possible and leaving the rest in good shape. If possible, overlap with your replacement, and help them learn your process. If your departure is a planned retirement, this overlap may be months, or even years, with succession planning. If leaving was unexpected, the overlap may be only a few days or weeks.

Document. Document as much as possible about specific tasks, project statuses, involved personnel, upcoming deadlines, and so on. If it’s a project that may sit dormant for a while, be especially thorough. You may want to document things that did not work, for posterity. Organize electronic files in a way that will make sense to others, or provide a guide to how they are organized, and delete irrelevant materials. Follow your organization’s policy on confidential information—you may need to delete it or store it in a particular way. Make sure you are clear on what you can take with you and what you need to leave behind.

Cement connections. Introduce those who are going to be taking over your responsibilities to people they will be working with, and ensure both sides have what they need to continue.

Leave on a good note with your close colleagues. Send a goodbye email, or better yet, personalized emails, letting them know how grateful you are for their advice, assistance, or expertise. Connect with them on LinkedIn, and get their personal contact information, if possible. Ask what they need you to do before you leave. If you are relocating far away, you may want to schedule last coffee chats or lunches with special colleagues.

Set boundaries. Be realistic about what you will be able to do once you have moved on. It is tempting to say you will be available for questions or that you will finish a task on evenings and weekends. But once you are immersed in your new role, you are likely to have less time, and less interest, than you thought. If your expertise will be needed once you’re gone, you may suggest to your company that it hire you as a consultant.

Moving forward professionally is exciting, and it is natural to be focused on what is to come. But making sure to take care of your current responsibilities and colleagues is the best way to leave on a high note. You never know when you may run into some of them again.

Get involved in the discussion. The ACS Career Tips column is published monthly in C&EN. Send your comments and ideas for topics for future columns to careernavigator@acs.org.