Comments on: Successful Quitting

By: working girl

working girl — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:12:32 +0000

Good advice, so true. You can’t change people when they’re locked into mass misguidedness. People are complicated and have other motivations than what will benefit the business.

By: Carnival of HR – July 22, 2009 « Infohrm’s Weblog

Carnival of HR – July 22, 2009 « Infohrm’s Weblog — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:24:18 +0000

[...] Sharlyn Lauby asks “when is the right time to quit?” [...]

By: Asha McGarrell

Asha McGarrell — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:55:25 +0000

One thing to remember when you quit; always leave on a good note, don’t burn any bridges. This is useful if you change your mind and want to return someday. Also, if you really want to help the organization but you have a bad boss, trying switching departments first before quitting outright.

By: Kari Quaas

Kari Quaas — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:55:28 +0000

Great post, Sharlyn. I love Steve Boese’s comments. When you know that you’re in the wrong job, it does weigh on you and affects all aspects of your life. As Jack Welch said in his presentation to Gen Ys, “Find the job that turns your crank.” : ) This statement, of course, applies to everyone.

By: ReviewSNAP

ReviewSNAP — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:23:48 +0000

I love the irony of Lance Armstrong’s quote. Apparently quitting doesn’t last forever since he retired and is now riding in the Tour de France.

Quitting isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Nobody wants to have to quit or be thought of as a quitter, but with the amount of time that people spend at work, nobody wants to spend it miserable or outnumbered on all issues. Steve is right that there are variables that come into play (food, water, shelter) when you are considering quitting, but things generally work out and they will feel like a weight has been lifted off their chest. I don’t encourage quitting and would always like to see people stick it out, but on the other hand life is to short to be miserable.

By: Barry Brown

Barry Brown — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:18:30 +0000

Good advice! My interpretation is a little different: choosing to race somewhere else (new employer) is much different than deciding not to race at all because it’s tough. The former retains integrity and self-esteem. The latter is full of long-lasting problems.

- Barry

By: Steve Boese

Steve Boese — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:24:36 +0000

Fantastic advice as usual, Sharlyn. I think every day you spend in a job that you know is wrong for you, that you die a little bit inside. I know practical considerations always factor in (food, water, shelter), but in the end, each wasted, unhappy day is lost forever. And that carries a high price.