frayne
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Have you ever and if so care to discuss ?
+1I made a graceful exit when I left.
IMHO, leaving gracefully makes everyone feel better in the long run. Plus, the old saying of success is the best revenge holds true.
It was more fun for me walking away on my own terms than taking a parting shot walking out the door .
+1It seems to me that the bridge is not always under your control. People can take against you for the dumbest reasons (usually having to do with their own insecurities). So I have burned a bridge, here and there, without intending to do so.
But I would not go out of my way to get under someone's skin, or publicly air unpopular views just so I can "feel better" for a few minutes. What's the point? If I believe I've been mistreated, but there is no way to right matters, why raise an odor about it. I have seen others do this as an exit ploy ("I'm finally going to have my say about this terrible place" on the company message board). What always strikes me is not the "risk" they take of not being re-hired, but the small, unworthy nature of the act itself.
Amethyst
Now that I'm another 10 years further down the road, I'm glad that I didn't burn any bridges back there.Have you ever and if so care to discuss ?
.....At the very least it leaves you with a good reputation.
I burned one bridge in my career. In 1975 I was working for a financial information systems outfit in Fargo ND when I got a call from my Dad's doctor that he had been rushed to the hospital and his health was failing fast. I had seen him a couple of weeks before and thought there might be something wrong. He was a stubborn guy and wouldn't go to a doctor unless it was serious. Anyway, they called me home. After about 10 days my employer called and said either return immediately or they would have to fire me. I told them I was not in a position to return at that time so they let me go. Dad died about 5 days later. A couple weeks after the funeral my ex employer called and offered a nice raise if I would come back. I was so angry at what they had already done I told them what I thought of them and hung up. In the end I was unemployed for about 10 months but wound up in a much better position.
Here are 10 Reasons that Burning Bridges is a Waste of Time:
Burning Bridges is Childish - This is the purest case of the immature child not getting their way. You are upset so you are going to throw a fit and stomp off. The mature individual makes their choice and makes their own way. It is not about right or wrong at this point.
You Don’t Know What Will Burn – When you play with fire, you never know what is going to burn. You may try to burn your former boss, but there can be collateral damage. When a teammate departs and figuratively burns down the house on his exit, he leaves others in a lurch. A departing worker may not only tarnish their own reputation, but that of their friends and teammates, as well.
Never Say Never – As in, “I am never coming back here.” These are famous last words. You never ever know when life may bring you back down this path. How sheepish (and regretful) you will be if you have to return and you burned all your bridges.
It’s a Small World – Someone you burn now, could end up on the other side of the equation down the road. A company did a poor job terminating one of their executives. Six months later he was a VP at one of their largest, most important customers. The tables were turned.
It Wastes Time & Energy – Some may disagree on this. But simply put, burning bridges is a waste of time and energy. Don’t expend valuable time and effort getting even with a former employer. It is a waste of your resources.
There Is No Satisfaction – You think there will be great satisfaction in telling off your former boss or employer. You will find that it fades quickly. (See Reason #1.)
You Are Not Always Right – It could be you. Really, it could be. And you may not realize it for some time, or ever. But, sometimes we are the troublemaker and we don’t realize it. And sometimes perspectives are going to be different no matter what.
It May Be Them, but it Doesn’t Matter – You may be right, after all. However, most bad people do not see themselves that way. There is no reason to argue at this stage. Move along.
Someone Else May Need the Bridge - People often burn bridges because they think they will not need them again. However, what if a friend or colleague needs that bridge at a later time, but you have already destroyed it?
You May Not Get Burned, But You Will Still Smell of Smoke – Your reputation will be tarnished. Once upon a time, you might have gotten away with it. But these days, the whole world will know. between social media, LinkedIn, etc. people will know. And you will be less employable as a result.
Nice post.I can't think of a good reason to burn bridges with an employer or person for that matter, regardless of the circumstances. Why? Spite? Getting even? Seriously? Here's a good summary someone else wrote, the first one alone is reason enough...