https://www.michaelpage.com.hk/advice/career-advice/changing-jobs/how-know-when-its-time-resign-and-how-leave-well
Have you ever seen a high-profile resignation in the news or on social media? Maybe it was a hedge fund manager who released a lengthy letter calling out their company’s leadership, or a manager who made a viral video announcing their departure. While these grand gestures can be attention-grabbing, they may not always be the best approach for your own career.
It's important to be mindful of when it might be time to move on from a role, whether it's due to a difficult team dynamic, a negative company culture, or other challenges. By paying attention to the signs and making a professional exit, you can avoid letting the situation deteriorate and potentially damaging your reputation.
Because when it comes down to it, while everyone loves the idea of a dramatic exit, the reality is that your career is worth more than that.
When thoughts of resigning come to you, take a quick internal look inside and see if there’s anything you can do to improve the situation.
Especially in the workplace, it can become a habit to look at things through a negative lens. Often, a change in perspective or an honest discussion can dissolve much of that tension.
When you have low-level disagreements or miscommunications with your manager, first see whether there’s a way to preserve the relationship.
It may simply be a case of understanding a different management style, and then working out how to manage it. Staying longer to work things out could help you strengthen your relationship with this person for the future.
However, once you’ve done all you can on your side, look for signs that resigning may be the only solution.
Look out for these factors to tell you if it’s time to hand in your resignation:
If you’re showing up to work every day feeling disengaged, this is a big sign that it’s time to leave. Even in leadership positions that look great on paper, a manager can become disengaged for a variety of reasons.
If you’ve noticed a lack of passion and proactivity in your role and can’t seem to find a way to get it back, a change may be what you need.
Whether it’s a toxic manager, a dysfunctional team or impossible targets, it can be hard to recover once a working environment has turned negative.
Don’t feel obliged to stay in an overly negative culture or office environment. This becomes even more important if the stress and negativity affect your life outside of work.