Practice Management Member Conversations

 View Only

Community HTML

Clouds

Quick Links

Who we are

The Practice Management Knowledge Community (PMKC) identifies and develops information on the business of architecture for use by the profession to maintain and improve the quality of the professional and business environment.  The PMKC initiates programs, provides content and serves as a resource to other knowledge communities, and acts as experts on AIA Institute programs and policies that pertain to a wide variety of business practices and trends.

    

Expand all | Collapse all

Email Resignnations

  • 1.  Email Resignnations

    Posted 05-29-2021 01:47 PM
    Has anyone dealt with a resignation by email (from a person working full time in the office)? Am I old fashioned to think this is really unprofessional? I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

    ------------------------------
    [ Nea May] [Poole] AIA
    [Principal]
    [Poole & Poole Architecture, LLC]
    [Midlothian, ] [Virginia]
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 05-31-2021 05:45 PM
    I would accept email ONLY as a confirmation from a phone call, Skype/Teams call, or in person (in ascending order of preference). I do recognize that electronic correspondence is the norm these days, but some events still need to be done in person - and a job change is one of those events.

    ------------------------------
    Edmond Gauvreau, FAIA
    Washington, DC
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-02-2021 10:13 AM
    No mail of any kind replaces one on one conversation but is correct way to document event or information.

    --
    Peter Winkler, A.I.A.
    winkler.aia@gmail.com
    480-438-4128

    Kindness For All






  • 4.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 05-31-2021 06:14 PM
    Hi Nea, it would be my suggestion that you maintain your professional demeanor and position and conduct the resignation in a one-on-one, face-to face sit-down, at your convenience.  Think of what your reaction would be to being terminated via email.  You don't deserve, or need that kind of potential, unwanted 'blowback'.

    It's never pleasant, but you have a business and a culture of accountability to maintain, so you do whatever is needed to ensure that endures; no exceptions. 

    Regards,
    Steve

    "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." – A. Einstein  

    MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES
    Steve L. Wintner, AIA Emeritus
    281.723.2090 (O), 512.943.8714 (H)
    Georgetown, TX 78633-5712










  • 5.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-01-2021 11:41 AM
    My apologies for the confusion in my response.  I was focused on 'terminations', not resignations, my bad.

    ------------------------------
    Steve L. Wintner, AIA Emeritus
    Founder-Principal
    Management Consulting Services
    Georgetown TX 78633-5712
    slwintner@managementconsultingservices.com
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 05-31-2021 07:46 PM
    Low class and totally unprofessional, not knowing all the details, I also believe that getting a written resignation letter being left in an envelope on your desk also qualifies as unprofessional. Some folks don’t know how much a conversation can do to keep from burning bridges. I will never understand why that seems to be the thing to do.

    Sent from my iPa



    Juan Romero , AIA, NCARB
    President + CEO
    jromero@apiplus.com

    api(+)
    2709 Rocky Point Dr. 201
    Tampa, Florida 33607
    T (813) 281-9299
    F (813) 281-9292


    Please visit us online at: apiplus.com




  • 7.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 05-31-2021 08:42 PM
    Nea,
    Of course it would be unprofessional, perhaps not as spineless as terminating an employee by e-mail or Twitter, but disappointing to say the least.  Once an employee did not appear for work so we called his home and his spouse reported he had taken another job.  Now that was cowardly!  A few years later he came back asking for a job interview.  No thanks!
    Jim
    James R. Foster, FAIA
    Architect Emeritus
    13004 Green Road
    West Fork, AR 72774-9370
    479-839-2492









  • 8.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-01-2021 09:33 AM

    Quick update to all. This person was in the office last Friday, her direct supervisor, my office manager and I were all in the office and available. She chose to send the email after work to the three of us.

    I do 100% of the hiring and firing of our firm. When I have to fire someone from a satellite office like Nashville I personally fly out to do so. I truly believe the adage "you are taking someone's job, there is no need to take their dignity". I discussed this with our senior guys over the weekend and I spoke with the person this morning first thing to let her know we would not be accepting her two week notice and that last Friday was her last day with us.



    ------------------------------
    [ Nea May] [Poole] AIA
    [Principal]
    [Poole & Poole Architecture, LLC]
    [Midlothian, ] [Virginia]
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-03-2021 10:19 AM
    Just a curiosity - for an employee to resign just by an email there is likely an underlying issue or issues that resulted in that employee's drastic, professional life changing action. Resons may include possible workplace issues, lack of adequate training, or personal emotional issues or a combination.  I wonder if the employee had tried to reach out to supervisor(s) prior to resignation or was counseled of any issues that initiated a final, abrupt resignation by the employee. 

    For firms that can afford it, I recommend initiating a DiSC to really get to understand the staff and what makes them tick.  It can also be used to better communicate with individual employees.
    --
    Michael Katzin, AIA | NCARB
    Director | Michael Katzin Project Services
    Johns Creek, GA





  • 10.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-02-2021 02:45 PM
    Nea, 

    Once an employee has chosen to leave, make it as easy on yourself as possible.  Cover your bases however you chose so that you have written documentation that departure was the employee's choice.  You do not want to leave yourself open to a claim on your unemployment compensation fund.

    I agree, it is unprofessional, but that's on your former employee.  If he/she is acting unprofessional toward you, I suspect he/she is an employee that is just generally "unprofessional."  It's history, let it go and move on.  You and your firm are better off without that employee.

    ------------------------------
    Jerry Berggren AIA
    Berggren Architects
    Lincoln NE
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-02-2021 03:59 PM
    Hi Jerry Berggren,

    Your post has me wondering how long the employee had worked there.

    Also, what is the industry standard professional way to resign? I would think a typed letter giving two weeks’ notice handed to one’s supervisor in person at a meeting set in advance.

    When I was HR Director for a Home Health agency eons ago, we didn’t have very high turnover, thankfully. One DON RN (Dir of Nursing) stands out to me. She would get overwhelmed and say she was going to leave. She did that like 4 times over about a month. We’d discuss this in our nightly Board meetings and the MD finally said: “If she says this again, accept her resignation on the spot.” Which we did the following Friday, if memory serves me correctly. Growing pains of a start-up.

    Thanks for letting me share.

    Respectfully,

    Tara Imani, AIA, NCIDQ, ASID, CSI
    Registered Architect + Interior Designer

    Tara Imani Designs, LLC
    10333 Richmond Avenue, Suite 170
    Houston, TX 77042

    Work/Mobile Ph: 832-723-1798

    www.taraimanidesigns.com




  • 12.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-01-2021 11:19 AM
    We recently experienced this as well and had the same reaction (unprofessional), but at the end of the day decided that it made no difference. We terminated the person effective that day and that was it. I mean, they quit, so you really can't do anything to them. 

    It is such an uncomfortable situation, that I can imagine that some people just can't deal with offering their resignation face to face.

    ------------------------------
    Carol Gillen
    Sierra Architects
    Waltham MA
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-01-2021 05:48 PM
    Yikes! Very unprofessional. Depending on the circumstances, I wonder if this relates back to a discussion we had previously about younger staff being "left behind" during the pandemic, and not getting the office culture exposure needed to recognize how unprofessional this kind of thing is.

    (The only exception that comes to mind is in the case of a toxic employee-employer relationship, where burning the bridge is an act of self-protection rather than cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.)

    Still, I can understand being taken aback in any case!

    ------------------------------
    Rachel Oleinick AIA
    Chicago IL
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-01-2021 07:16 PM
    Hi Nea,

    Thank you for the update. When I read that she’d sent “the three of you” an email after talking face to face with you in the office last a Friday, that indicated to me that she might’ve gotten angry or disappointed at something. Or do you think her mind was made up before the conversation?

    To her credit, she did offer you a two-week notice.

    With almost everything being online and virtual these days - and many people WFH (Working From Home) - it’s possible that, to her, the standard way of scheduling a meeting to hand someone a written letter of resignation was the equivalent of sending it via email.

    Most firms seem to need help and would be hard-pressed if someone left. Did you really not need her for those two weeks or did you just want to rid of the negativity.

    Lastly,
    I really liked the adage you shared: "you are taking someone's job, there is no need to take their dignity".


    Warm regards,

    Tara Imani, AIA, NCIDQ, ASID, CSI
    Registered Architect + Interior Designer

    Tara Imani Designs, LLC
    10333 Richmond Avenue, Suite 170
    Houston, TX 77042

    Work/Mobile Ph: 832-723-1798

    www.taraimanidesigns.com




  • 15.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-01-2021 08:53 PM

    To be clear she was not working from home, our Nashville office is small and while they had the option to stay home most of this past year each person decided individually they liked working as a group better. Also, again to clarify we were all in the office that day but 2 of us were in Richmond, while her boss was with her in Nashville, so she had the opportunity to talk with any of us and chose not to.

    When you say "at least" she gave us two weeks, I would be equally or perhaps more, disappointed in a 30 something professional adult who did not know to give two weeks minimum notice more than than I was at an email so I hardly see that as a plus in her column.

    Do we need the help, you bet. In 20 years we have only not accepted two weeks notice 3 times including this one; however, after discussing this with the Nashville team this was the path we decided upon. I think they believed the negativity was worse than the lack of her help.

    All this being said, I was kind to her this morning,  and wished her well in her new endeavors.



    ------------------------------
    [ Nea May] [Poole] AIA
    [Principal]
    [Poole & Poole Architecture, LLC]
    [Midlothian, ] [Virginia]
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-03-2021 12:01 PM
    Nea,

    Thank you for the update. I agree that the employee acted unprofessionally. I think your response was appropriate and respectful.

    When I started in the profession in 1983, Working Woman magazine was a tremendous resource for how to navigate the business world in a professional manner. Business magazines were also helpful. It was amusing how often my thinking was corrected as I read about workplace issues and what the correct response would be. 
     
    Perhaps AIA National, State and/or local chapters should think about taking this issue as an opportunity to educate young professionals (or all members). They are often thrown into a situation where they have had no introduction to the norms of professional behavior. Understanding expectations would be helpful. It may also be time to update the norms to acknowledge that the world has changed, if we can do that without losing the courtesy and integrity that are required in all professional relationships. This is a task for everyone in the business world but again, the AIA could make a start.

    ------------------------------
    Carol De Tine AIA
    Carriage House Studio architects LLC
    Portland ME
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-03-2021 05:38 PM
    This has been one of the more interesting posts in quite some time. My first question (which was answered in a later post) was whether the staff member was only a few years out of school and unfamiliar with office protocol. Definitely something that has to be learned. However, to hear that it was a 30-something professional brought up another question - what in the office or about the office may have warranted them feeling an e-mail resignation was the only way to approach the situation? Were they unhappy with their job responsibilities? Were they uncomfortable addressing issues with management? Were they just generally unhappy?

    When I decided to leave my first job after 8 years, I met with my supervising principal and told her that I was starting to look for a position within another firm. While she was disappointed, she understood my need to move on and was supportive of the decision. She would have preferred I stay but still understood. And when I announced that I had found a position, I was allowed to stay and wind down my work instead of being terminated on the spot.

    That this 30-something professional didn't do this may be telling you something, and maybe it's worth having that conversation if not now then perhaps a little down the road when they have some perspective. This also may be a good time to talk with staff about expectations should they come to a point where they feel the need to exit the firm. Will the rest of them feel comfortable giving notice, preferably by letter? Or will they expect to be let go immediately and opt not to say anything until they are ready to give their two weeks?

    ------------------------------
    Lawrence Paschall AIA
    President/CEO
    Spotted Dog Architecture
    Dallas TX
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-03-2021 05:44 PM
    Lawrence - great points and perspective!

    ------------------------------
    Michael Katzin, AIA | NCARB
    Michael Katzin Project Services, LLC
    Johns Creek, GA
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-09-2021 01:19 PM
    Seconding Lawrence's note. There's a reason she didn't feel comfortable confronting a resignation face to face and that would be helpful for you and your team to ask about/understand. Maybe it was purely personal, life circumstancing being overwhelming, and she didn't have the capacity to face another challenge, but maybe it was a problem with her superiors, work environment, etc. - who knows? As a firm leader my perspective is to approach issues with the assumption that it's something I and my partners haven't done well enough, made clear enough, been supportive enough, and seek to understand to improve our company and systems.  

    That said, I'm in a few forums with young architects and emerging professionals, and the topic of how to submit a resignation came up recently. I was alarmed to see an overwhelming amount of people advising submitting an email, stating it's important for documentation purposes. Few expanded on that by suggesting a request for meeting AND the email, and just left it at an email. There's some unfortunate advice floating around out there so it's entirely possible some of your staff think that's an acceptable or even preferred method to resign. Speak with your staff about the reality of people moving on and the best way to approach a resignation so they aren't afraid if/when the time comes and know the protocol.

    ------------------------------
    Leah Bayer AIA
    President
    OJK Architecture + Planning
    Palo Alto CA
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-10-2021 05:31 PM
    Leah's second paragraph was insightful. I've been wondering all along if it isn't just a matter of young people thinking email is appropriate. We send out our resume via email. We get accepted to a new position via email. Our firm gets work via email. We sign contracts via email.  Why shouldn't we resign via email? It might be nothing more than a cultural disconnect between older and younger generations.

    ------------------------------
    Kent Dombach AIA
    Director of Specifications
    USA Architects
    Philadelphia PA
    ------------------------------



  • 21.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-10-2021 06:28 PM
    Good points, Kent.  I was recently on a roundtable discussion (virtual) and the junior staff participants expectations about companies recalling the workforce back to the office was very lopsided - discussions were geared only to the younger staff levels. The younger participants did not consider senior staff, office managers, project managers and supervisory expectations on how to supervise while being remote.

    Supervising, being supervised as well as training and mentoring over the past 14 months has been new to to all levels of staff.  The younger staff in the roundtable were silent for a moment when asked have they considered asking the senior staff leaders what they need to do to do their job responsibilities to manage projects mostly or partially virtually, as well mentoring and training.

    ------------------------------
    Michael Katzin, AIA | NCARB
    Michael Katzin Project Services, LLC
    Johns Creek, GA
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-11-2021 12:53 PM

    Many years ago shortly after I got my license I went to work for a sole proprietor firm.  The principal was probably the most ethical person I've encountered in my career.  Upon hiring me he handed me a document he had prepared called "The Code of Business Conduct".  In the 4 pages or so he set out his expectations for all employees that, in addition to our responsibilities to the firm, included how we were expected to treat each other, how to treat our consultants, even how to treat Product Representatives.  Not taking any chances he read it out loud to me as I followed along on my copy.  I still have a copy of "The Code" to this day and try to follow it in my own practice.

     

    When I served as Adjunct Professor at a local university we still taught office practice ten or so years ago and I taught a section on professional ethics.  I'm not aware if universities still teach Office Practice to architecture students but if they don't then it becomes incumbent on those of us in the profession to teach and maintain the standards we aspire to.

     

    DFT/Mika

     






  • 23.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-14-2021 06:00 PM
    Monday Afternoon 
    14 June 2021 DST

    Hi Donald,

    Would you be willing to share the
    Four (4) 'Code of Ethics' Pages
    with the group, or individually?

    Continued Blessings!

     


    Dave
    ��559-259-3576 Mobile / Text

    David Laurence Phillips
    LICENSED ARCHITECT
    Founding Owner & CEO
    • Advisor
    • Consultant
    • Architect
    • Planner
    • Interior Architect
    • Designer

    DLP ASSOCIATES DESIGN
    • Advising
    • Consulting
    • Architecture
    • Planning
    • Interior Architecture
    • Design

    PURPOSE
    "Inspired Design"

    DESIGN STUDIO 1874

    CONTACT INFORMATION
    �� 559-456-6181 Office
    �� 559-456-2772 Fax
    ��559-259-3576 Mobile / Text
    ✉️ 
    ��  DLPAssociates . com
           (being redesigned)

    __________________________________

              "INSPIRED DESIGN!"
                         Since 1996       

    __________________________________





  • 24.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-15-2021 11:36 AM
      |   view attached

    I have received several requests for the "Code of Business Conduct" and I'll try to send it to the community. 

     

    Bear in mind this was written in the 1950s before the Justice Department forced the AIA to abandon the "Canon of Ethics" incumbent on AIA members and the world has changed a lot, some may argue for the better and might be offended by the tone of the Code but I won't get into that discussion. 

     

    The main point is that firms should have a written standard of behavior to which all members agree to conform when they join and they should be aware that there may be consequences if they violate the standards. My major professor in university said in our Office Practice class, "As professionals we should profess something" and ethical standards are a good place to start.  As a practical matter an office standard should go a long way to protect the firm from a wrongful discharge suit if a member has to be discharged for cause.

     

    Good luck with it and thank you all for your interest.

     

    P.S. I think he got his French wrong, shouldn't the term be "En Charrette"?

     

    DFT/Katy

     




    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    Code of Business Conduct.pdf   5.23 MB 1 version


  • 25.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-16-2021 02:18 AM
    Thank you for sharing, I just read it and it brings some ideas to mind.  I now work on the client side, and over the last couple years I've toyed with (but never deployed) a "form letter to my Architect" to hand over to the consultant's PM at the start of a project for establishing expectations of work quality and protocols for project communications. 

    I like the length of Kenneth Brooke's document, it is a nice balance between a hefty employee's manual that best serves as a door stop, but has enough detail to avoid being a menu of platitudinous of core values.

    ------------------------------
    Justus Pang
    Nevada State Public Works Division
    Las Vegas NV
    https://www.grizzlypear.com/process/Project Manager II / Architect
    ------------------------------



  • 26.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-11-2021 01:03 AM
    Resignations are a tricky beast.  There is no good way to do it, but there is a right way to do it.

    I would agree email only is unprofessional.  If one really wants that new gig, then part of the price is sucking it up and chatting to the boss live (in person when possible).  My last resignation had to be over the phone since the owner of the company lived in another state and that was awkward.  I think he was a little miffed I didn't wait for his next visit to town, but I wasn't gonna to pass up a 30% pay raise for a few weeks just for the propriety.  Of course in today's post COVID work environment I'd have done it over a videoconference now that we've all learned that technology.  

    I agree with the other comments that the fact that the employee chose the wrong way implies that there may be an issue brewing beneath the surface. If she had been at the office for a significant period, then it may imply that she wasn't mentored properly by more experienced colleagues.  If she was relatively new, then such a disconnect seems to be a cultural misfit, after all one bad step shouldn't create so much negativity to decline an additional two weeks of service in a tight job market.

    Leah's comments is good in highlighting the generational disconnect that has emerged over the past decade.  It is surprising how "kids these days" spend so much time on their phones without actually using the darn telephone app.  I'm in my early forties but everyone tells me that its a totally different universe with the young'uns...then again I was 28 (and still paying four cents per text) while our thirty year old friend was only 16 when the iphone came out.

    ------------------------------
    Justus Pang
    Nevada State Public Works Division
    Las Vegas NV
    https://www.grizzlypear.com/process/Project Manager II / Architect
    ------------------------------



  • 27.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-16-2021 06:07 PM
    I'm surprised to hear that so many members felt a two week noticed email as unprofessional. Considering how applicants are treated these days through ATS and HR notifications, it is difficult for new generations to feel personally invited and connected to a company. I'm 35 and have worked in various industries, and so I'm caught in between the new and the old ways.

    1990 rid of the pension plan that once made companies the patriarchal figure that protected its employees. 2007 marked another where our 401K was nothing like the pension plan, and job security was only as good as our productive values, and not our loyalty. I recently talked with my wife about how American companies are more human and equitable, and Chinese companies are more ruthless, competitive, but personal. It's a micro-observation, but let the idea sink-in. Being fair doesn't necessarily mean more personal. 

    Coming back to my best practice. I would write an email as a paper trail and also allow a crafted expression towards my decision. I would probably leave an open ended invitation to a personal meeting, in person or zoom depending on culture. The personal meeting is to make amends, but the email is the ripping-off the bandaid. My logic would be that the manager may not want interruption, or be emotional effected before an important presentation. The email allowed more for ease of timing and immediacy, as "waiting for the right timing" can be a long anxious endeavor. Once the deed is done (2 week's notice given), its more productive to discuss solutions or how the two-week transition should occur. 

    Just my personal opinion, and hope that sheds some light to another perspective.

    I would love to learn the code of business ethics. None of that was taught in school. We learned that through family and close friends, and even that is a microcosm.

    ------------------------------
    Charles Ou-Yang Assoc. AIA
    Partner
    Ball Architecture
    Irvine CA
    ------------------------------



  • 28.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-22-2021 09:53 AM
    I agree there are some odd (and shifting) dynamics in American work culture and that relationships are fraying.  However your example is not not exactly relevant, because the parties don't know each other during the recruitment process, which is quite different than at the end of a long standing relationship.  Its one thing to treat strangers impersonally, another to to treat one's employer in the same fashion after working together for some time. 

     As we head towards more of a "gig" economy, maybe the written initial notice might eventually become standard practice.  However, the current expectation is that the employee who is leaving will give the employer the courtesy of a personal meeting to announce one's resignation.  Such an expectation can make for awkward moments and is definitely way more stressful than crafting a good resignation letter and pressing send. 

    It could be an interesting tangent to explore what "should" be the best practice for resignations.  However the current standard "is" to perform this rite of passage in person.

    ------------------------------
    Justus Pang, RA
    Nevada State Public Works Division
    Las Vegas, NV
    https://www.grizzlypear.com/process/
    ------------------------------



  • 29.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-22-2021 11:01 AM
    This is the longest running discussion I've ever observed in these AIA forums. I think it speaks volumes about the enormous changes we are going to see in the workplace. 

    At the end of the day, what does it matter how someone resigns? Typically they are employed at will, meaning they can be terminated with no notice. Likewise, they can resign with no notice. Absent a contract, two weeks notice is polite, not mandatory. And typically, that two weeks is of negligible value. This person is leaving. I think energy is better spent focusing on their replacement, rather than debating the "correctness" of their resignation.

    ------------------------------
    Carol Gillen
    Sierra Architects
    Ashland MA
    ------------------------------


  • 30.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-23-2021 05:54 PM

    Yes, this is among the longest running discussions in the AIA forums and I find the responses quite intriguing.  In general, people who have been practicing for a long time (meaning us older people) have voiced disdain for someone who resigns via email.  It's unprofessional, its poor communication, we would never have done that, etc.  And, in general, younger people have weighed in about how their older employers should examine the cultures they have fostered.  The firm might not have been supportive, owners might not be approachable, times have changed relative to communication preferences,  etc.  While most discussions are healthy, we should also keep in mind that this is a data point of – one person.  Architects are a subset of the general public.  We consist of emotionally mature as well as dysfunctional people , strong as well as awkward communicators, people who place high value on relationships while others are satisfied being transactional.

    I agree with Leah, who suggested speaking with your staff about the reality of people moving on and the best way to approach a resignation so they aren't afraid if/when the time comes and know the protocol.  And one of the best opportunities to set an example is when you first offer them a position.  Let the new person know that it is important that they leave their current position as professionally as possible, even if that means delaying the starting date in the new position.  You might suggest that they work out a transition plan that might last longer than two weeks so that their current employer can make appropriate plans.  Creating the proper culture and expectations starts with the hiring process.  Hire respectful people and then return that respect throughout their tenure.  With this mutual respect as a condition of employment, we might keep the data points to only a few people.

    ___________________________

    Michael Strogoff, FAIA

    Strogoff Consulting, Inc.

    p: 415.383.7011

    c: 415.717.2755

    Michael@StrogoffConsulting.com

    www.StrogoffConsulting.com

    ownership transitions . mergers & acquisitions . practice management . leadership development . talent placement

    This message sent by Strogoff Consulting, Inc., may contain information that is privileged or confidential and is intended exclusively for the person(s) to whom it is addressed.  Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized.  If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately and delete this message from your system.

     






  • 31.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-27-2021 09:21 PM
    Michael, your suggestion is great.  It reminded me of how I first realized the importance of 2 weeks notice.  It was at an interview with a landscape contractor (who didn't actually offer me a job).  During the conversation, he mentioned he'd never ask for someone to join earlier than two weeks because he was concerned it would put a candidate in a bad position of picking between antagonizing their former or future employer, and he felt that it was a major red flag for any shop that did.

    Funnily enough, a few months later I got an offer from someone who wanted me to join immediately.  I really liked their work, but politely declined.  That previous conversation helped save me from making a big mistake - it would have been unfair to my employer at the time (who I still email occasionally) and I suspect the new office would have been a bad fit for my personality.

    In the end, I stayed at my current firm for another year and gave my boss 4 months notice before heading out to graduate school =).

    ------------------------------
    Justus Pang, RA
    Nevada State Public Works Division
    Las Vegas, NV
    https://www.grizzlypear.com/process/
    ------------------------------



  • 32.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-28-2021 12:38 PM

    Justus – glad my suggestion resonated, and thanks for sharing your experience.

     

    Regards,

    ___________________________

    Michael Strogoff, FAIA

    Strogoff Consulting, Inc.

    p: 415.383.7011

    c: 415.717.2755

    Michael@StrogoffConsulting.com

    www.StrogoffConsulting.com

    ownership transitions . mergers & acquisitions . practice management . leadership development . talent placement

    This message sent by Strogoff Consulting, Inc., may contain information that is privileged or confidential and is intended exclusively for the person(s) to whom it is addressed.  Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized.  If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately and delete this message from your system.

     






  • 33.  RE: Email Resignnations

    Posted 06-24-2021 03:32 PM

    Hi All,

     

    This has been an interesting and long discussion about this individual 's resignation "style" or whatever we want to call it. It has made me think about my entire career so far from the beginnings of time. I recall my reasons for resigning which were either a desire to change work environments, feeling of stagnation and unappreciation, a hostile work environment, and wanting to start my own practice. For the some of the reasons I stated, it falls on the various firms out there to really reflect, understand, connect with their current and potential employees. I have experienced many firm cultures, few that were amazing/inspiring and most that were outright toxic. I wish more were amazing and inspiring, but that was my experience.

     

    We hire human beings first and foremost, then designers/architects, after that. We need to connect and make people feel appreciated for who they are and what they offer. People need to feel safe speaking to their superiors. In the original example of the email resignation, there was something complicated  there that was not discussed and/or difficult to express since that person was there in person just prior to the email. It is obvious that their was a discomfort on the part of the 30something professional. The take away should not be the question of professionality, which is just trivializing. I'm sure this sadly happens at many firms. Again, I emphasize that firms really humanize this and treat people more than a pair of hands.

     

    Everyone take care and be safe.

    Regards,

     

    Daniel Guich, AIA, LEED ap, CDT

     STUDIO CONVERGE

    415.683.9600 

    www.studioconverge.com