641: How to Quit Your Job the Right Way | Deep Dive

641: How to Quit Your Job the Right Way | Deep Dive

[00:00:00] Jordan Harbinger: Coming up next on The Jordan Harbinger Show. 

[00:00:03] Gabriel Mizrahi: If you're going to quit, then set your course, even if you don't have a final destination yet. What kind of person do you want to be on the other side of the job that you have now? If you work backward from there, you come up with a plan, you can make that plan your agenda for your time off.

[00:00:23] Jordan Harbinger: Welcome to the show. I'm Jordan Harbinger. On The Jordan Harbinger Show. We decode the stories, secrets, and skills are the world's most fascinating people. We have high-signal, low-noise conversations with astronauts and entrepreneurs, spies and psychologists, even the occasional billionaire investor, Russian spy, or host negotiator. And each episode turns our guests' wisdom into practical advice that you can use to build a deeper understanding of how the world works and become a better critical thinker. 

[00:00:49] If you're new to the show, or you're looking for a way to tell your friends about it, I suggest our episode starter packs. These are collections of favorite episodes, organized by topic to help new listeners get a taste of everything that we do here on the show. Just visit jordanharbinger.com/start or take a look at your Spotify app to get started, or to help somebody else get started. And of course, I always appreciate it when you do that. 

[00:01:09] We're back today with another deep dive episode. Y'all have been loving these. And I'm so grateful to hear that you've been sending me a lot of messages about these deep dives that are Gabriel Mizrahi and I, and well, there's a bunch more on the way. This one is about how to quit your job the right way. A lot of people do this wrong. They burn bridges or they do it half right. And they don't maximize their goodwill and social capital on the way out. We'll show you how to set this up, so you leave on great terms, solidify your connections to your bosses and your colleagues, and leave the door open for future collaboration or other opportunities.

[00:01:42] Here we go deep dive on how to quit your job with Gabriel Mizrahi. 

[00:01:48] You know, we talk a lot about how to get a job, how to network, to get a job, how to navigate inside your career and inside your job. But very rarely does anybody talk about how to leave a job, even though we often recommend that people leave a job. And if you've been listening to Feedback Friday for a while, you know we get a ton of questions about work stuff, just like this. And this is one of the most common questions we get: how do I quit my a job? Look, we've taken a few of these, Gabe, but seems like everybody be quitting these days. Whether it's a job you love or a job you hate, quitting is just not easy. And yet it's one of the most important conversations we'll ever have in our career. 

[00:02:20] The more I think about this question, the more I realize that knowing how to resign is indeed a skill and leaving a workplace the right way can make the difference between having strong relationships and struggling with weak ones, between generating opportunities down the line and fighting to scrounge up work and the need to master that skill has never been more urgent. The great resignation is upon us and it is real. Millions of Americans quit their jobs during the pandemic. This is basically the golden age of peace in the hell out for greener pastures. And as we all know, quitting is awkward. It's disappointing. Sometimes it's just flat-out scary and that's because we don't teach quitting as a set of skills.

[00:03:01] So that's what we're doing on this deep dive — how to quit your job like a pro? But before we actually talk about the, how we have to back up and talk about the reasons to quit your job in the first place. Obviously, there are tons of reasons to leave a job. Some reasons are better than others. But some aren't really real reasons at all. They're just unresolved thoughts, nebulous feelings about your job or your colleagues, or even yourself. That are driving you to fantasize about firing off that I-quit email. 

[00:03:28] That sort of legendary storm-out cake. Gabe, by the way, have you seen — uh, welcome to the showcase, Gabe. By the way, have you seen that cake where a co-worker made it. That says something like, "Screw y'all. I'm out," and they put it in the breakroom and shared it with everybody, but I, you have to think that's a workplace. That's actually fun. And this person wasn't actually doing that in a mean-spirited way, but how cathartic must it have been to make a cake that said that and hand it to everyone. 

[00:03:52] Gabriel Mizrahi: It could have been a cool workplace or it could have been — I mean, did you see that one of the flight attendants who just went absolutely ape sh*t on their passengers? I think it was a guy and he just was like, he had been doing the job for like 10 years or something, 15 years. He was over it, hated everybody, like got on the PA system, slagged everybody off, chugged a beer, and just jumped down the shoot, down to the tarmac or something like that. 

[00:04:16] Jordan Harbinger: The emergency thing. Yeah, he got arrested for that. 

[00:04:19] Gabriel Mizrahi: I'm sure— 

[00:04:19] Jordan Harbinger: Of course. 

[00:04:19] Gabriel Mizrahi: —he did. Yeah. 

[00:04:20] Jordan Harbinger: Yeah. 

[00:04:20] Gabriel Mizrahi: Yeah. I don't know what he was trying to accomplish, but that's another way to leave your job. 

[00:04:24] Jordan Harbinger: That was one of those, dude clearly having mental breakdown type job situations where — yeah, so we're going to avoid that. So how do you know when you're quitting to improve your life and when you're just running away from a bad situation? And the answer is to really interrogate your reasons for leaving, using a little exercise we've been calling, getting to the bottom. And this exercise has three steps and it starts with taking stock of the thoughts and feelings driving you to quit. 

[00:04:52] Start by asking yourself a few basic questions. Which thoughts about work? Do you notice cropping up regularly? Which feelings are you finding it difficult to deal with and what's the general tone or quality of your career? How is your mood most of the time at work and how does that differ or not differ from your mood in your personal life? Now, write down these answers. Be as specific as possible. Don't just harp on the negatives. Try and capture the positives too. This is important. Then take a step back and ask yourself, what's the overall charge of those thoughts and feelings? Are they largely positive or negative, hopeful, or bleak inspired or disillusioned or is it a mixed bag? 

[00:05:33] You actually might find right off the bat that this exercise confirms your feelings about work, or you might be surprised to realize that you didn't appreciate the full picture. Things aren't as overwhelmingly crappy as you once thought, or they're not as completely amazing as they once seemed. And once you do that, trace the thoughts and feelings backward. Figure out the root causes of these thoughts and feelings. Take each thought or feeling you wrote down and identify two or three sources for each one. Going as deep as you can to the roots of it. 

[00:06:04] For example, let's say you wrote down that you often feel excluded and ignored at work. From there try to identify the sources of that observation. Don't just limit it to external factors like colleagues or company policies. Try to include a few that are closer to home if there are any. For example, maybe you write down, "Tom from compliance is always dominating our meetings. My boss Claire doesn't empower me with my own project. I have a fear of making a mistake or sounding dumb in a meeting." For this to work, you really do have to be super honest. 

[00:06:35] It's actually quite fascinating to notice how easily our mind pins the blame for negative experiences on other people and other situations. So try to identify your own behaviors and qualities here. That is so, so important. Do this exercise for all of the observations you wrote down, including the positive ones, you can't have total conviction in your decision to leave until you're in touch with both. And finally, once you do that, come up with a plan. The final step in this exercise is to create two or three specific practical, achievable things you, you can do to address the root causes of your dissatisfaction, or just make the most of your satisfaction.

[00:07:15] So let's get back to those examples we were just talking about. For the whole Tom from compliance dominates meetings thing, maybe you come up with a few ways where you can approach this problem. Talk to Tom privately about making a little more room for me to speak in meetings, speak up even when Tom interrupts me. And if nobody gives me that space, explicitly ask for a moment to finish my thought. Or ask a couple of teammates if they're noticing the same thing in meetings, or if it's just me, study how they handle Tom, give that a try. 

[00:07:41] Same thing with Claire, not empowering me with my own projects. Maybe for that one, you write down, you know, book 15 minutes with Claire to talk about not feeling empowered. Get some feedback, understand her management style better. Propose to new projects I can run and manage on my own or find more ownership of existing projects, even if Claire doesn't explicitly give it to me. And for that thing about sounding dumb or making a mistake, maybe you make a plan to schedule time in my calendar to do my homework before I speak up in meetings. So I'm more confident about what I'm saying. Or take a chance and speak up, even if I'm afraid and just see what happens or even read up on this pattern and learn some techniques for rewriting it. You get the idea. For each source, there's always at least one thing you can do to change it. 

[00:08:25] Now, what you're basically doing here is converting the downsides of your job into productive behaviors. You're not settling for your initial response to a tough situation, but using that situation to level up and become the best possible colleague. This is how you can push past the knee-jerk story of, "Eh, I'm miserable at work. It must be time to leave," and turn it into a more productive story of, "I can change this miserable situation by showing up in a different way." and after that, your job is to actually pursue those action items. Schedule time in your calendar to work on these goals, review them at the end of each day or week. See if you've made progress. Rework them in light of new information. 

[00:09:06] My advice spend at least a month, but honestly, probably two or even three months genuinely giving this action plan a try. After that, go through this whole exercise again and see how your thoughts and feelings change. So if they do change, then you'll realize that your unhappiness was actually a sign it was time for you to make some changes on your side of the equation. And then you'll know that the answer wasn't to just jump ship and ditch the job, but to better steer the ship that you are already on. Now, if your observations don't change, then you'll feel a lot more secure in your instinct that it is indeed time to quit. And you'll have a much stronger story to tell in job interviews when it's time to look for a new job. Now, you might still have some doubts about whether it's time to quit your job. 

[00:09:50] So to give you a little guidance there, here are some good reasons to leave a job: wanting to chase an opportunity that's more exciting, more meaningful, more lucrative. Being inspired to take what you've learned in your current job to a role or opportunity. Feeling stagnant despite putting in sincere effort. Wanting to grow as a professional, not feeling connected to the mission or ethos of your company anymore. And realizing that a job is at odds with your core values, your interests or your lifestyle. Those are good ones. 

[00:10:18] On the other hand, some bad reasons to leave a job include struggling to get along with a small number of people in the office or being uninspired without having invested much effort or working on your relationship with the company. Maybe feeling underappreciated or being passed over for promotion for only one or two cycles or being unhappy for reasons that are not directly caused by the job, like major life events or mental health challenges or recent loss, family stress, all that. And not knowing what you'd rather do, but just feeling like this isn't the job you want to be doing.

[00:10:51] Of course, you can have several reasons for leaving a job, like wanting to chase an exciting opportunity and not loving the mission of the company anymore. But if you look at your list of reasons for quitting and you're like, "Man, I actually don't even know if my reasons are legit." And here's one principle that I've recommended to countless people through the past 10 or 15 years of life, and it will definitely help. Namely, it is always better to be running towards something than away from something. If your reasons are primarily about fleeing some unpleasant situation, that's usually a red flag, but if your reasons are more about chasing a desirable situation, that's generally a good sign.

[00:11:30] So doing the above exercise will make the whole 'should I really quit' decision that much more clear. And if you realize that it's not time to leave your job, then it's time to come up with an action plan. Figure out which habits, goals, mindsets you need to cultivate to change your experience of your job. Talk to your peers and your bosses about the changes you'd like to make, how you relate to one another, what you can achieve together, how you want to manage or be managed, and find a new connection with your mission, your product, your stakeholders, to bring more meaning into your job. And that the change you're looking for will only come with a new opportunity, then it is definitely time to figure out your next move. 

[00:12:06] Gabriel Mizrahi: Yes, exactly right. It's so important to go through that phase of figuring out if your reasons for leaving are actually legitimate and they're not just a passing whim or momentary frustration before you actually start making plans to leave. So yes, once you've gone through that, then you can figure out your next move. And look, there are a few schools of thought out there about whether you should absolutely must have your next job lined up before you leave your old one. Some experts say that you should definitely have it locked down before you give your notice. Other people say, no, it's totally cool to leave a job without having a new one in the bag, or even knowing what you're going to do next.

[00:12:39] And I think there are some experts out there who are big on just taking that risk, no matter what that is actually an important part of your development. But as we just talked about, if you don't have another job lined up yet, that might be okay too as long as you have some kind of direction when you quit. If it's not a new job, it could be an experience like traveling or studying or getting a series of certifications on your own or recuperating if you've been part of an intense work environment for a while, or even maybe doing an unrelated job just for fun. You know, we've met people like that. They work in corporate for 10, 15 years, and then they want to volunteer at an NGO or they want to do a short stint in some unrelated field, whatever, go to pastry school, whatever it is.

[00:13:20] If you decide to do that though, just make sure that you're not, you know, faffing off and buying time, but you're actually using that period to get more in touch with your interests, your goals, your needs. So look, if you're studying Portuguese and writing a business plan for a cool startup that you're considering while you volunteer with Habitat for Humanity while you're in Brazil or something like that, that could be an amazing investment, worth your time. But if you're, quote-unquote, "recuperating" by getting turned at Dave & Buster's three nights a week, college pros, while you sleep on your LinkedIn messages, then I would check in with yourself and make sure you're really moving in the right direction. Again, it's all about that north star, right? What are you moving toward?

[00:14:03] The other good reason to jump ship from a job without a plan is if a job is taking a major toll on you or it's putting you at serious risk. For example, if you're part of an objectively toxic workplace and the office is creating real mental stress, real physical stress. I'm talking like panic attacks or depression or recurring bouts of it. Or this sort of waking up with a sense of dread, which we hear about in our Feedback Friday inbox all the time.

[00:14:28] Jordan Harbinger: Mmm. 

[00:14:29] Gabriel Mizrahi: Then it might be best to remove yourself from that situation. But. I would still encourage anybody in a workplace like that to find ways to manage that environment cope with that environment before you decide to bail. Because honestly, some organizations are just high-pressure environments, just the nature of the job. Like Jordan. I imagine that there are people who work at SpaceX, who don't wake up every day, feeling totally calm or people who work in like really departments of Amazon or something. Like there are places that are just so ambitious and the stakes are so high that you're not going to always be comfortable every moment.

[00:15:00] But that doesn't mean that it isn't worth working there. It doesn't mean that you should quit as soon as you feel stressed. Sometimes what we need to improve is our response to these places. It doesn't mean that we need to remove ourselves from them. But there is another scenario where I do think it's wise to quit without having another job lined up and that's if you discover that there's something illegal or unethical happening at your company,

[00:15:23] You're listening to The Jordan Harbinger Show. This is a deep dive on how to quit your job. We'll be right back. 

[00:15:28] This episode is sponsored in part by Pick USA. Pick USA, these are debit cards that reward you four percent cash back when you buy American brands. So you can use it however you want. After all it's cash, therefore your money. Plus major discounts on American brands, such as Yeti, Weber, Carhart, Milwaukee tools, hundreds more, all the good stuff. Pick USA wants to reward you for buying products made here in the USA. After all, if you're an American, you do deserve a share of the equity that you're helping to build and keep in industries right here in the United States. They've also got some discovery tools right there in the app to help you figure out which brands you should explore. And that takes some of the heavy lifting out of finding American brands that qualify for cash back. It's not some tricky puzzle where you only find out the answer once you actually get your debit card statement.

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[00:17:51] Now back to our deep dive on how to quit your job. 

[00:17:55] Yeah, true story. There was one of our listeners. He was once indicted for insider trading, but the thing is he was 27 years old, maybe even younger at that time. So the other guys at his firm, they just pinned the whole thing on him, basically, put all this evidence, you know, on him somehow. And they wiggled out of it and hired lawyers and they kind of threw him to the wolfs. His parents had to hire a lawyer to fight the charges, to prevent him from going to freaking prison. While the a-holes who actually profited from the whole insider trading thing, they just walked away. I mean, this is like a junior junior banker with, I guess, he had access to documents and just didn't do or say anything. And the other guys were going to fight hard. So he was the most vulnerable party and they went after him. These are truly dangerous situations, even if you're just tangentially involved. So if you're near something like that, it's usually best to just document what you see, quit, and then get as far away from the mess as humanly possible. 

[00:18:50] Gabriel Mizrahi: Right. Exactly. So it's not worth sticking around to try to fix a situation as messed up as that. It's not like if you find out that your colleagues are insider trading or they're scamming customers that you should go and, or exercise and be like, "Well, I think it might be on me. I can try to, I can try to fix this environment." Not worth it. Just leave. 

[00:19:05] So bottom line, if you're going to quit, then set your course, even if you don't have a final destination yet. And that means getting clear on your goals, your intentions, your interests. It also means coming up with a basic plan for how you're going to spend your time off. You know, who do you want to meet? Who do you want to get closer with? What skills do you want to hone? Which ideas do you want to explore? What spaces do you want to understand better? And also which my mindsets and habits on a personal level do you want to develop? In other words, what kind of person do you want to be on the other side of the job that you have now? If you work backward from there, you come up with a plan, you can make that plan your agenda for your time off.

[00:19:43] So by this point, we should have already really done our homework on why we're leaving and now we can get into the nitty-gritty of how to actually leave. And that really starts with, Jordan, I think, giving your notice, right? 

[00:19:55] Jordan Harbinger: Yeah. And that's probably the most stressful part of quitting did be honest. No one likes hurting people's feelings, letting down their boss or a boss, having to break some bad news, but there's a good way and a bad way to do this.

[00:20:07] So let's get into it. First, you have to consider your audience, of course. The content and format of your notice. It should reflect the person that's receiving it. The stronger your relationships in your workplace, the more care you should put into your notice. That usually means breaking the news to your boss in a one-on-one meeting and then following up with a larger email to your other coworkers. The more distant and transactional your relationships, the less you have to worry about sparing their feelings. But honestly, even in those workplaces, I still recommend being respectful. No matter the organization, it's always tough when a boss loses a good employee and most bosses deserve a thoughtful goodbye.

[00:20:44] So if you're breaking the news to a distant senior VP who oversees 50 freaking people in a call center in another country or something like that, and there's turnover every dang day, you can probably give them your two weeks by email, but if you're breaking the news to the founder of a family-owned business who personally hired you three or four, 10 years ago, you probably want to schedule a face-to-face chat and share your reasons for leaving. And also by the way, break the news in the right order. 

[00:21:12] Years ago, I worked with a young lawyer — well, we were all young lawyers — and he told everyone over drinks that he was weighing a job offer from another firm. And of course, you know, loose lips sink ships, one of the partners, the next day, calls him into the office. He's hurt. He's surprised. Frankly, he's pissed off about it as well and he confronts him. And my friend was just sideswiped. He then has to tell the partner who was the one who, by the way, hired him and pushed for him to be hired in the first place, why he was leaving after the partner had already gotten wind of it from a bunch of other dudebros, probably via email or DM or whatever, right? It just showed up on his Blackberry. This is obviously not an ideal situation and not the mood you want to jump into when you're talking to your boss. 

[00:21:54] If you've decided to leave, your best policy is to keep that information to yourself until you've told your direct bosses. They deserve to know first. And then you can tell other executives or whoever needs to know. And only then can you break the news to your coworkers. Yes, even if y'all are really tight. If you tell anyone else in advance, you better make damn sure it's somebody you already absolutely trust and still know that you're taking a risk. The water cooler is real man. Word travels, and it could seriously compromise the tone of your exit. 

[00:22:27] Gabriel Mizrahi: Yeah, totally. That is sound advice. And look, when you do talk to your boss, you're obviously going to have to share your reasons for leaving. And if you're leaving to take a new job, that'll probably be pretty straightforward. "I'm leaving to take this new position. This is what it is. Thank you for everything. I'm excited." If you're leaving because you're unhappy though, eh, that's a little bit of a trickier conversation and you will have to be a little bit delicate. 

[00:22:48] So the question we get asked a lot is: how honest should I be about my reasons for quitting? It's a great question. Again, I do think that depends on the nature of your relationships with your colleagues, your history with your company. If you've worked closely with a boss, you really like, you really admire, you probably owe them more of an explanation for why you're deciding to leave. If you're not as concerned about honoring your relationships or protecting them, then you can afford to be vague about it. But in general, my advice would be to share your reasons for leaving, even if they're a little bit hard to hear, up until the point, that they start being hurtful or they stop being useful. 

[00:23:24] So for example, telling a boss at a really difficult workplace that you're taking a new job with a more supportive culture, a better work-life balance. That's a very diplomatic way of saying, "This place is like toxic for me. I can't be here anymore. I need to find a different place." But if you unload on them for 45 minutes about everything that you've hated about their office for the last three years, that probably isn't doing anyone any good. So unless your boss explicitly asks you for pointed feedback, I'm not sure you're obligated to tell them every single reason you have for bailing. In most cases, your best bet is to just share the headline. "I'm leaving to go do X. It's calling to me because Y. These are my reasons I decided to pursue it because of Z," whatever it is. If your boss says, "Okay, but tell me more. I want to understand, like, what led you to this decision? Were you unhappy? What's going on?" Then you can share a little bit more and then you can see how it goes. Read their cues, answer their followups. Only go as deep as they want to go, but whatever you do, make sure that what you share with them on your way out is in a spirit of helpfulness rather than spite, regardless of how tempting that might be when you wrap up a job.

[00:24:31] Jordan Harbinger: Yeah. That is a great point, Gabe. Years ago after a summer associateship at a hoity-toity law firm, the partners asked me for some candid feedback about my experience and I held my tongue sensing they didn't really want to know the truth. Also like what was in it for me to give them feedback about how crappy the program was, right? I was shocked when they ended up giving me a job offer, just given how horrendous the whole summer went. But it was helpful to have that offer in hand when I actually went into the job market because I didn't end up taking it. So you also have to balance the value of candor with the need to protect your own interests, which brings us to the question we get a lot — how can I quit without destroying my relationships? 

[00:25:13] And the short answer is, be as helpful as you can on your way out. Do everything in your power to set your team up for success after you're gone. And depending on your role and workplace, that could mean wrapping up open projects or action items and handing them off to the right people, automating or systematizing your responsibilities so that they can continue without you. Find and train your replacement, transition key relationships to new people, so there's no interruption. You know, make those warm intros. 

[00:25:41] You hear about when people leave the White House and a new administration comes in, there's like binders that the person makes for the next person in that role. You got to anticipate problems that will arise after you're gone as well. So make yourself available for questions and ideas on your way out. And, honestly, open the door for the new person to email you even weeks, possibly even a few months, depending on how complicated your job is while you're at the new place, because it could be really hard for them to find something or know who the right person is.

[00:26:10] What you don't want to do is end up sort of inadvertently punishing the next person who takes your job. Even if you hate the company and they've wronged you, it's not the person's fault who's sitting in your chair after you're gone. You know, why make their job harder? Also take out a few of your colleagues for coffee or lunch and just thank them for their contributions, discuss your transition and cement your relationship, but even more important than the logistical stuff is adopting the right attitude during your transition.

[00:26:37] For some people. The last few weeks of a job are just a chance to run out the clock while they collect a paycheck. But employees who focus on being helpful on their way out the door are employees you just can't help but love, even when they're disappointing you by leaving. And adopting that mindset is hands down the best investment you can make. It'll pay dividends with your old managers for years, your old colleagues. You can then build on that goodwill and invest in those relationships long after you leave. 

[00:27:04] Gabriel Mizrahi: Yes, I totally agree. And one of the best ways that you can be helpful as you wrap up is to share some thoughts with your boss or your managers or your other colleagues on your way out the door.

[00:27:15] So Jordan, I actually know this guy. I met him in college and he worked at one of those electric vehicle startup competitors to Tesla. And he actually has one of the greatest quitting stories that I've ever heard. So he worked with the CEO of the company directly for five or six years. This guy actually hired him out of college and then they became really good friends. And then my friend decided to leave to start his own company. And before he officially wrapped up, he sent this CEO a brief kind of email/memo with some ideas and some insights for the company that he felt were really important that he wanted to share as he left.

[00:27:50] And in that memo, he basically was like, "Here are my predictions for the industry. These are the challenges that I think you guys are going to face in the next three to five years. Here's what you guys are going to have to change operationally, strategically, if you have a chance of surviving." He was pretty blunt about it. And the way my friend told me the story, he was actually like brutally honest about some of the mistakes that the company had made. And some of these mistakes were actually part of the reason he decided to leave, but he felt that being honest with the CEO was actually one of the greatest gifts he could give his boss on his way out the door.

[00:28:21] And it turned out that he was right, because again, the way he told it to me, maybe he was glorifying a little bit, but I think it pretty much went down this way, the CEO read the memo and then he called him a few hours later to talk about it. And the CEO was like, "Listen, dude, this was not the easiest thing to read, but it was one of the most important things I've read in a long time." And apparently the CEO incorporated a lot of his ideas into the new strategic plan after my friend left. And then, they stayed close over the years and they kept talking and they would catch up by phone once a month or whatever and share thoughts. 

[00:28:52] And then I talked to my friend a few months ago and he told me that the CEO, the same CEO invited him to come back and consult for the company, and this was years after he quit. So that story always stuck in my mind because I think it's such an amazing case study in how far generosity and candor will get you when you're leaving a job and how your ideas, when you share them on the way out the door in the right spirit can really pay massive dividends in ways that you really don't expect. 

[00:29:18] So as you head out, as you transition from a job, I would consider sharing a few insights and a few recommendations with your bosses, with your team. It doesn't have to be super formal. It could be a casual conversation in the breakroom. Like, 'Hey, I was thinking about this just as I'm leaving. I want to give you something to think about," or it could be more formal, you know, in the form of a memo or a PowerPoint or whatever it is. It could even be pulling somebody aside, a teammate, and encouraging them to go after an not opportunity that you couldn't while you were there, whatever it is. As long as you're respectful and you have the other person's best interests at heart when you do this, you'll hit the right note. But the other thing that my friend's story really illustrates is why it's so important to stay close with your colleagues after you leave. 

[00:29:57] Jordan Harbinger: Yes, absolutely, stay connected. 

[00:30:02] This is The Jordan Harbinger Show and a deep dive on how to quit your job. We'll be right back.

[00:30:06] This episode is sponsored in part by Peloton. Adding new things to my workout routine keeps it fresh, which keeps me motivated, which is kind of important. Peloton is pushing you further with so much new on the Peloton bike and Peloton bike plus. New classes, new music to jam to, new ways to keep your workouts fun. Boxing is a thing now. Peloton is stepping into the ring. No gloves needed. Even if you've never boxed before, these classes will have you work up a sweat while working on the fundamentals of form footwork and fun combos, that will keep you on your toes. Boxing's great because you get wrecked. And you barely feel it, cuz it's fun. I also discover new music through Peloton. They've got pop and rock and hip-hop. My thing is EDM, of course, because, raver until I die, '90s kid over here, whatever floats your boat, of course, is in the app. It's easier to stick to your goals when you keep your workouts interesting. So de-stress from a long day with 30 minutes of strength, 20 minutes of cardio, or just do a 15-minute total body class before work. Keep your fitness fresh with bike workouts, yoga, meditation, dance, cardio, and more. 

[00:31:04] Jen Harbinger: Go to onepeloton.com to learn more. That's O-N-E-P-E-L-O-T-O-N.com. 

[00:31:09] Jordan Harbinger: This episode is also sponsored by Progressive. What's one thing you'd purchase with a little extra savings? A weighted blanket, smart speaker, that new self-care trend you keep hearing about. Well, Progressive wants to make sure you're getting what you want by helping you save money on car insurance. Drivers who save by switching to progressive save over $700 on average. And customers can qualify for an average of six discounts when they sign up, discounts like having multiple vehicles on your policy. Progressive offers outstanding coverage in award-winning claim service. Day or night, they have 24/7 customer support, 365 days a year. When you need the most, they're at their best. A little off your rate, each month goes a long way. Get a quote today at progressive.com and see why four out of five new auto customers recommend Progressive.

[00:31:49] Jen Harbinger: Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national annual average insurance savings by new customers surveyed who saved with progressive between June 2020 and May 2021. Potential savings will vary. Discounts vary and are not available in all states and situations. 

[00:32:02] Jordan Harbinger: By the way, you can now rate the show if you're listening on Spotify. This is a huge help. I really appreciate it, of course. Search for The Jordan Harbinger Show in your Spotify app. Click the dots on the upper right and make it happen. 

[00:32:12] Now for the conclusion of our deep dive on how to quit your job. 

[00:32:17] For many people — most — quitting is just, it's like the end of the story, right? They're off to a new place. The old place doesn't matter anymore, out of sight, out of mind. But there's another way to look at this transition, that quitting is just the beginning of a new phase of your relationship with an organization. So once you leave, pick the handful of people you like and admire and stay close with them. So keep investing in those relationships. By the way, it doesn't matter if they're above or below you in the hierarchy, find ways to help those people out. It will always pay off. 

[00:32:47] And by the way, a good example of this, a listener of the show recently told me, pretty great story about how he quit his job in sales to pursue a more lucrative position as a corporate recruiter. In the last two weeks, not only did he find his replacement, but he brought in three other great candidates into the business. So obviously, his HR managers were amazed by his ability to recruit talent. I mean, who the help brings in three other people and their replacement in two weeks. So they asked him how he found good people so quickly, and he told them, "Hey, this is my favorite thing to do. This is what I'm leaving to do." And he invited them to hit him up if they ever needed help sourcing more candidates. And sure enough, a couple of months later, his old HR managers asked him to help fill a few open roles in the company. This time, of course, he formalized the relationship by bringing his old employer on as a client with his new recruiting firm. And he earned a bunch of commissions in the process. So in one fell swoop, he built a book of business at his new company by adding value to his old company. 

[00:33:49] And of course, you don't have to benefit in such a literal way in order to help your old company. The benefits can come in other forums like introductions to good people, access to valuable information or opportunities, greater negotiating leverage and job security, just stronger connections in general. The more you invest in your old colleagues, the more you help them grow, the more opportunities will actually flow back to you. And remember other people leave jobs too. So if you're leaving and you're great to the people on your way out, when they go elsewhere, you never know you might be in a position where you go, "Oh good. Tom is now at Google and I've always wanted to work there. They've got a great opportunity. He's going to put in a good word for me. He might even be recruiting me," as opposed to, "Oh, there's the guy where when I left, I left him like a giant stinking mess of stuff to unravel and he kind of probably hates me now. And now he's on the recruiting panel for this Google role I want, I'm screwed," right? You have a choice to do this right and making an advantage as opposed to a disadvantage or a problem and hurdle that you got to jump.

[00:34:50] So my final piece of advice is to stay close and stay connected. Keep adding value to your old colleagues even after you quit. If you know, they need talent refer candidates over to them. If you learn, they're struggling with sales, send new clients their way. If you hear that one of your old peers is looking for some guidance, reach out and offer to lend an ear. I mean, hey, if you stay close and you know your old company needs help, you might even talk yourself back into another job there in the future. That's happened to a few of our listeners. They basically jump out and then jump back in at a more senior level. And it's kind of amazing. 

[00:35:23] So there you have it. That is how you quit. Like a pro like a classy pro I know quitting is stressful. Even if your next step is exciting, it's just never fun telling a company that you're moving on. It's like a breakup except with multiple people at once. But if you reframe the situation by just a few degrees, quitting can become an incredible opportunity to explore your reasons for making a major change, change the trajectory of your life and your career, create new forms of value for your colleagues, and deepen all of your relationships here. So as you navigate this big decision, I encourage you to think of it less as an awkward obligation and more like a transitional state that can serve up new opportunities. 

[00:36:05] The end of your time at a company doesn't have to be the end of your connection to it. It can just be a new phase of a relationship that will evolve in exciting and surprising ways. So focus on nurturing that relationship and you'll find footing is much less intimidating than it looks and far more rewarding than it seems. 

[00:36:23] Thanks so much Gabriel Mizrahi for doing this one with me. Links to this article where all this information comes from if you need to refer to something instead of re-listening to this podcast, you can look at the article. It has some more detail on a few things. That's in the show notes at jordanharbinger.com. Also, of course, all of our articles are at jordanharbinger.com/articles. If you buy books from our guests, please use our links that help support the show. Transcripts in the show notes. Videos on our YouTube channel. I'm at @JordanHarbinger on Twitter and Instagram. You can always connect with me on LinkedIn as well. 

[00:36:52] And by the way, if you are networking and creating relationships, which we talked about a lot here, I'm teaching you how to connect with great people and manage relationships using systems, software, tiny habits, the same ones that I use every single day. We've got a free course, actually free, don't-need-your-credit-card free. It's our Six-Minute Networking course at jordanharbinger.com/course. Dig the well before you get thirsty. Build relationships before you need them. And many of the guests that you hear on this show, they subscribe and contribute to the course. So come join us, you'll be in smart company where you belong. 

[00:37:23] This show is created in association with PodcastOne. My team is Jen Harbinger, Jase Sanderson, Robert Fogarty, Millie Ocampo, Ian Baird, Josh Ballard, and Gabriel Mizrahi. Remember, we rise by lifting others. The fee for this show is that you share it with friends when you find something useful or interesting. So if you know somebody who's leaving their job or thinking about leaving their job, definitely share this episode with them. I hope you find something great in every episode of this show. The greatest compliment you can give us is to share the show with those you care about. In the meantime, do your best to apply what you hear on the show, so you can live what you listen, and we'll see you next time. 

[00:37:59] You're about to hear a preview of The Jordan Harbinger Show with Ken Perenyi, an amazingly talented art forger who fooled thousands of museums, experts, and art buyers. 

[00:38:09] Ken Perenyi: He gave me a book on art forgery. I began to unlock the secrets. I was a storehouse of knowledge of how to create an illusion presented to a experienced expert, manipulate his mind, and bring him to the inevitable conclusion that the painting is genuine. We flooded the market with my paintings. And I couldn't believe what I did. I couldn't believe it. Then the dominoes started falling and eventually the FBI were led to my door. They uncovered a mountain of evidence against me. 

[00:38:54] Jordan Harbinger: But they never actually got you. Why did it go away? Why did you never get indicted? How are we having this conversation? 

[00:39:04] Ken Perenyi: I guess, that's the greatest story of all. 

[00:39:06] Jordan Harbinger: If you want to hear more about how Ken made millions forging art, dodged the mafia, and even the FBI, check out episode 282 of The Jordan Harbinger Show. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening now. 

[00:39:21] This episode is sponsored in part by My First Million podcast. If you're the type of person who's always thinking about new business ideas or wondering what the next side hustle, you should spin up, check out the My First Million podcast, the hosts Sam Parr and Shaan Puri have each built eight-figure businesses and sold them to HubSpot and Amazon. So smart guys, they know what they're talking about. Each week, they and storm business ideas that you could start tomorrow. They could be side hustles that make a few grand a month or big billion-dollar ideas. Some really interesting stuff in there. Recent ones about NFTs and whether or not they're the future — I have my own opinion on those — and whether it's worth buying Russian stocks right now. Hmm. They also chat with founders, celebrities, and billionaires and get them to open up about business ideas they've never shared before. Search for My First Million podcas. That's My First Million podcas on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you're listening now.