How to Say Goodbye to Your Colleague In Style
Why the celebratory goodbye? Pausing to honor a departing teammate shows respect for their dedication to the organization and acknowledges the personal and professional impact on the group. It is also beneficial for the individual, science says.
Thanks to the serial position effect, we know that people best remember the beginning and the end of a sequence. In the tenure of their employment, individuals will recall their arrival and departure most clearly. Intentionally honoring the past achievements of a departing employee creates enduring, positive memories for that person.
Beyond the individual, goodbye celebrations have a beneficial impact on the organization and the remaining team. According to sociologist Brian Uzzi, this adds to a firm's 'embeddedness' in their market, which positively correlates to company survival rate and financial success. When the teammates that remain witness the honoring of a colleague that goes, it sets a standard that there is respect for individual career decisions and high value of employees, even as they move on.
@Annie W recently asked our Cultivators Community about this very topic.
Let's hear how our Cultivators have created memorable experiences for their departing colleagues.
Montage Video
Jeff said he loves to make a montage video. The idea is to stitch together messages from coworkers to create a 'farewell' montage video for the colleague who is moving on. Pro tip: give everyone 4 or 5 fun questions to answer about the person in addition to a personal anecdote or message. Tip: Tribute helps groups compile and synthesize video clips, just like they did for Zappos. But, remember, it's not about the production quality! Instead, it's about the sentiment shared.
KudoBoards
Not in the office to pass around a card? Try KudoBoards, said Deborah. This online platform gathers group appreciation and sends the eCard directly to the recipient. 'Kudos' can come in messages, videos, pictures, or gifs, and the final product can be saved, printed, or shown as a slideshow.
My contribution to the group? I said a LinkedIn post goes a long way. Publicly recognize a teammate with a show of appreciation for their contributions and dedication - and don't forget to tag them! If they are continuing their career, consider also leaving a thoughtful recommendation on their LinkedIn profile.
Zoom Send-Off
Alexandra usually gathers with colleagues during a farewell Zoom event to exchange favorite memories, best wishes, and a few laughs. If the departing employee is willing, invite them to share parting words with the team. Consider adding an element of play with a customizable experience like a Virtual Trivia Game, Coworker Feud, or Kahoot!.
All-Hands Announcement
Take a moment during the company-wide All Hands meeting to acknowledge the departure of a colleague. In addition to announcing their last day, ask their manager and team to reflect on their achievements.
Polls Everywhere
To add a personal touch to any celebration, Bethany suggests Polls Everywhere. Try their customizable Q&A function to gather memories from coworkers to share with the departing colleague. You can visually aggregate team sentiment for the colleague in a word cloud, a collage of the most frequent adjectives or phrases used to describe the teammate moving on.
The Award Goes To
Myth busted: most likely to [X] or best [Y] awards aren't only for graduating high school seniors. Poll the team on what category best fits the leaving team member. Sites like Canva and Crello make it easy to design a digital award or certificate.
A Handwritten Goodbye
"The pen is mightier than the send," according to former Campbells Soup Company CEO Douglas Conant. With overflowing email inboxes and back-to-back Zoom calls, pen to paper can be a refreshing and noteworthy way to show appreciation. Don't know what to write? Start here.
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