profile

Leaving Well in the Workplace

Your Leaving Well guide to navigating workplace transitions 🧡 I normalize workplace transitions one organization + person at a time. Leaving Well is the art + practice of leaving in the workplace, with intention + joy.

A two toned green graphic with text that says People Pleasing: How to Prioritize Yourself When Leaving Well
Featured Post

How to Care About YOU When You Leave a Job

A lot of people don’t have any problems taking care of themselves, their priorities, and their needs. But this one’s for the people who do have trouble with those things. We’re talking about people pleasers in the Leaving Well blog–specifically, how to protect your energy and boundaries when transitioning out of a role, project, or organization. The sense that you’re disappointing the teammates you’ll leave behind, or that your boss is secretly angry that you’d dare to abandon them, or any...

A dark blue image with colorful elements around the border. The text says: Navigating Job Loss

Nobody wants to lose their job. Getting fired, laid off, downsized, or otherwise losing your employment, income, benefits ... and stability is a major life stressor. We've seen massive waves of layoffs and reductions in force before, however this current impact to our neighbors, friends, and loved ones—due to the current administration—is incredibly difficult to bear witness to. Amidst the harm of job loss, I believe it is still possible to prioritize your wellness in the aftermath. My latest...

Podcast graphic with an image of a Black bald man wearing a black shirt. The text says: Leaving Well podcast, Dr. Jaiya John on Leaving Well and Storytelling as a Garden During Transitions

Have you ever read a book that changed your life? A book that spoke to every weary corner of your wounded spirit, that saw you and spoke directly to you? The book that hit me like that is Your Caring Heart by Dr. Jaiya John. And I had the incredible privilege of having Dr. Jaiya on the Leaving Well podcast to talk about Caring Hearts (aka anyone who has a “helping” job) and how to take care of those hearts in the workplace. It was an entire word! A sermon for spiritual wellness. I recommend...

A background with pink and black swirls has the text: Stay Interviews overlaid on top

Once-a-year performance reviews are OUT. Well, they’re not out-out. But I think they should be. Over HALF of employees don’t think their managers conduct performance reviews properly. And only one in five employees feels motivated by their organization’s review process. (I cite my sources in my latest article) We are losing talent and leaving folks behind, and it’s a solvable problem. Rather than a series of annual reviews followed by an exit interview that’s more of a formality than actual...

A sage green graphic with an image showing a person's outstretched hand, palm to the camera. Their head is blurry in the background. The words say: "I know enough to be dangerous"

Have you ever heard the phrase “I know enough to be dangerous” in the workplace? I know I have (plenty of times) and let me tell you why I hate it and think it needs to be permanently retired from the entirety of nonprofit culture. “Knowing enough to be dangerous” really means: I don’t know enough about this but I’m claiming I do. I know just enough to be baseline effective. I know enough to get the job done. I know enough to hold on to my trustworthiness. I know enough to maintain...

A two-toned green graphic that says: After Action Reviews. NaomiHattaway.com is at the bottom and the top has a curved arc text that says: Leaving Well

Something I’ve noticed about gender reveal parties is that they can get pretty ... weird. Some of the party decorations on Pinterest these days include themes like “boots or bows,” “staches or lashes,” and my personal least favorite, “guns or roses.” They are giving the exact same energy when I see professional development sessions modeled like NASCAR pit stops or the “Top Gun Experience” to help you “strategize your business like a fighter pilot.” I wrote about it on my blog – check out my...

A dark blue graphic with light tan text that says "building trust and transparency after the 'hard to follow executive"

When a founder or long-term executive leaves an organization, especially if their departure wasn’t planned, the loss can be a major factor on team morale and leave a sense of something deeply missing from the workplace. BoardSource calls this “the hard to follow executive,” and I think that phrasing is particularly apt because it feels like following the performance of a lifetime. How could anyone possibly fill those shoes? What’s key for your organization in the transition to a new executive...

A quote graphic that says: "It is important that you prioritize onboarding to keep connected with the new hire, and promote your organization's culture by using this valuable time to set up your new hire for success and trust building." -Naomi Hattaway

Hi friends! When you think of onboarding, what do you include? Most onboarding protocols include a rushed two week schedule, with a boisterous "welcome to the team!" tossed the way of new hires. I'm here to encourage you rethink your onboarding norms to build out a 30-90 day onboarding opportunity to cultivate and support your new employee’s path to success. Proper onboarding isn’t just “here’s the company handbook, good luck!” It’s intentionally creating a supportive period for a new team...

"What is the first thing that folks are going to do as they hear about a job opening that you have, especially when it is as the result of a big workplace transition? They're going to look on social media." -Naomi Hattaway

Hi friends! I don’t speak much about marketing and communications in this space, but there’s one significant overlap between comms and the idea of Leaving Well. And it’s this: You MUST keep your marketing in motion during transitional periods when your organization is going through big changes. It’s so easy to drop your social media while you worry about new job descriptions and interviews and onboarding your new hire. After all, getting the right person in for the job is your top priority....

An image of Amanda Misiko Andere, a Black woman wearing sunglasses, a head wrap, and a yellow tank top.

"We are in a revolutionary moment in our country, in our world. I'm thoughtful and hopeful about change and transition, but also know that comes with great pain. It can come with a lot of conflict. The framing that our country holds around polarization is really around change and transition. So, how do we rename what's actually happening? It is truly the life learning mechanism to get to a place of truer self, to get us to justice and liberation." -Amanda Andere Today's episode release is...