The Keynote We All Need About Workplace Goodbyes
*a companion article to Episode 77 of the Leaving Well Podcast
We’ve gotten really good at starting things. New hires. Strategic plans. Team-building events. But when it comes to endings, we hesitate. We stall. We avoid.
And yet, people leave. Colleagues transition. Projects close. Teams shift.
In Episode 77 of the Leaving Well Podcast, I offer a keynote-style conversation on what it looks like to embrace the inevitable with care and clarity. When we handle departures well, we don’t just honor the person who is leaving. We also nurture the team that stays behind.
What Happens When We Don’t Prepare for Endings
Too often, offboarding is reduced to deactivating logins and collecting laptops. But transitions carry emotional weight. There is grief, disconnection, and often confusion. What is left unsaid or unacknowledged does not just disappear. It lingers.
When I experienced a departure of my own that lacked alignment and transparency, I recognized how rare it was to leave well in the workplace. That moment planted the seeds for what would become the Leaving Well Framework.
Now I work with organizations to help shift that narrative.
Three “Golden Tickets” to Leaving Well
There are a few practices I come back to again and again. These are simple, repeatable tools that help build workplaces where departures are handled with intention instead of fear.
Knowledge Transfer
This is one of the most practical and most overlooked steps. Having a clear plan to share information, responsibilities, and relationships prevents disruption and builds trust on both sides of the exit.Stay Interviews
Most organizations wait until people leave to ask how they are doing. Stay interviews allow for real-time check-ins, help catch issues early, and create space for honest dialogue before someone has one foot out the door.Trusting People to Leave Well
This one is the hardest. It asks us to believe the best in our colleagues, even as they transition away from the organization. When we extend trust instead of suspicion, we model the very culture we hope to build.
“We treat employees like assets until they become liabilities. But what if we trusted them to leave well and believed they could carry our mission with them?”
Leaving Is Inevitable. How We Do It Is a Choice.
We’ve mastered the art of beginnings. New employees are welcomed with training schedules, thoughtful introductions, and messages that say “we’re glad you’re here.” But when it is time to say goodbye, that same care often disappears.
A workplace that handles endings with dignity is one where people feel safe, seen, and valued the entire time they are there, not just at the start.
“Leaving well does not require perfection. It requires planning. ”
Leaving Well asks us to shift from reacting to transitions to preparing for them. From avoidance to intention. Let’s make endings matter just as much as beginnings.
If your team is navigating change, or if you are ready to create a culture that values the full employee journey, this episode offers a place to begin.
To listen to an audio version of this article, tune in to Episode 77 of the Leaving Well Podcast: People Leave; A Podcast Style Keynote About Nonprofit Workplace Transitions.
If you are curious about how to bring the Leaving Well Framework to your organization, reach out anytime at Support@8thandHome.com.