What to Include in a Farewell Message to a Coworker
When it’s time to bid adieu to a colleague, crafting the perfect farewell message is key. We’ve gathered insights from ten professionals, including CEOs and managing directors, on what to include. From expressing gratitude with specific memories to thanking them for their hard work and wishing them luck in the future, discover the heartfelt elements that can make your goodbye truly memorable.
- Express Gratitude with Specific Memories
- Include a Personalized Anecdote
- Share a Meaningful Message
- Create a Personalized Keepsake
- Highlight Joy and Positive Impact
- Acknowledge Valuable Contributions
- Express Appreciation for Teamwork
- Wish Success and Offer Contact Info
- End with a Positive, Uplifting Note
- Thank for Hard Work and Future Luck
Express Gratitude with Specific Memories
One thing to include is expressing your gratitude for the time spent working together. Share specific memories or accomplishments that were meaningful to both of you by highlighting the positive impact they’ve had on you. This acknowledgment will make your message more personalized and heartfelt, leaving a lasting good impression as they move on to their next job.
Bayu Prihandito
Founder, Psychology Consultant, Life Coach for Men, Life Architekture
Include a Personalized Anecdote
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A farewell message is far more than a simple goodbye; it’s a tapestry woven with respect, appreciation, and good wishes for the future. One essential element to include in such a message is a specific anecdote or memory that encapsulates the positive impact the coworker has had on the team or company. This should be a genuine reflection that highlights their contributions and the void they’ll leave behind. It’s this personalized recognition that translates into a sincere and heartfelt message, ensuring the departing colleague knows their work and presence were truly valued.
In a more technical sense, the effectiveness of a farewell message hinges on its ability to communicate three core sentiments: gratitude, impact, and continuity. Gratitude for the time shared, acknowledging the impact both on a professional and personal level, and a wish for continuity in the form of sustained relationships or success in future endeavors. The balance of these elements is crucial; it’s what transforms a standard note into a touching epitaph of their time spent within the company.
Billy Parker
Managing Director, Gift Delivery
Share a Meaningful Message
Many of us have referred to our coworkers as making up our “family-away-from-home.” This bond is naturally created as we likely spend more waking hours with this team than with probably most other people in our lives. They are around on our good days and see us at some of our most stressful times.
Consequently, when it’s time to create a farewell message for a coworker, you may want your few written words or short speech to contain a meaningful message. Consider, for example, how this person became your teacher or mentor. They may have provided the needed guidance or training that helped you land a promotion. They may have guided you in a different direction, perhaps within the firm or in your personal life.
Also, consider how this person made you feel. Did you literally become happy when you saw them at their desk and perhaps a little sad when their office was empty for just one day? This is a sign that they provided you with a ‘family-like’ feeling, and you can express that on their last day.
Ashley Kenny
Co-Founder, Heirloom Video Books
Create a Personalized Keepsake
You could make a “This Is Your Life”-style mini-magazine or newsletter that celebrates their contributions, milestones, and funny moments shared at work. Use pictures, quotes from colleagues, and highlights of their achievements to fill the pages. This serves as a personalized keepsake and shows the effort you’ve put into acknowledging their journey with the team. It’s a creative way to reminisce about the good times and to show how much they’ve meant to everyone.
Another idea is to curate a playlist of songs that either remind you of them, represent inside jokes, or convey wishes for their future endeavors. Each song can come with a short note explaining its significance, making the playlist a unique, heartfelt gift. This offers a modern twist to the farewell message, providing them with something tangible they can listen to and remember the team by, wherever their career may take them.
Laurie Hyllberg
Vice President, Kinsa Group
Highlight Joy and Positive Impact
I’ve experienced a few job transitions during my career. Those transitions can be sad, scary, and exciting—all at the same time. Yet, how do you leave an organization well? That’s the million-dollar question. The farewell message can be key to future growth and even potential new jobs down the line.
I always like to include the joy and pleasure of having worked with someone in my farewell message. I personalize it for each individual and let them know how they’ve positively impacted my time at the company.
Joseph Lalonde
Leadership Coach and Author, Reel Leadership
Acknowledge Valuable Contributions
A heartfelt acknowledgment of the time you’ve spent working together is key in a farewell message to a coworker. Mention specific instances or projects where their contribution was invaluable, highlight the qualities that made them a pleasure to work with, and express how their presence will be missed. This not only shows appreciation for their efforts but also reinforces the positive impact they’ve had on you and the workplace.
Rick Elmore
CEO, Simply Noted
Express Appreciation for Teamwork
In my opinion, you could include a personal note expressing your appreciation for their contributions to the team and company. I would mention specific projects or initiatives that they worked on and the impact that their work had on the organization and its clients. Plus, I would wish them the best in their future endeavors and offer support. I believe it’s important to make the coworker feel valued and appreciated, even as they are leaving the company.
Tom Molnar
Co-Founder – Operations Manager, Fit Design
Wish Success and Offer Contact Info
You should express genuine appreciation for their contributions and the positive impact they’ve had on the team. Expressing gratitude for their hard work, professionalism, and camaraderie can make the farewell message more heartfelt and memorable.
Additionally, wishing them success and happiness in their future endeavors demonstrates goodwill and creates a sense of positivity during their transition. If you guys had a personal relationship or shared inside jokes, adding them can reinforce the bond you shared together.
If you haven’t shared contact information or only spoke on company platforms, let them know how they can reach you if they ever need to. Overall, adding personal details can make a farewell message meaningful and leave a lasting impression on your departing coworker.
Perry Zheng
Founder and CEO, Pallas
End with a Positive, Uplifting Note
Always end on a positive note when creating a farewell message to a coworker. A positive and uplifting note can really help to make the transition easier for your coworker, especially if they have created some great relationships with you or other people. Express confidence in your coworker’s abilities and reassure them that they’ll be missed but never forgotten.
Doing this can help to mitigate sadness on someone’s last day and gives them a little boost of confidence that can help them in their next career steps. It can be stressful to start a new job, and you don’t want to leave any negative feelings between your coworker and their old job.
Meghan Freed
Managing Co-Partner, Freed Marcroft
Thank for Hard Work and Future Luck
When sending a goodbye message to a colleague, it’s essential to thank them for their hard work and wish them the best of luck in the future. It’s also important to reflect on their contribution to the team or organization.
This can make the message even more meaningful. You can also add a personal touch, such as reminiscing about a project you worked on together or a shared experience.
You can also offer to keep in touch and be open to working together in the future, which can help keep the relationship alive outside of the office.
A goodbye message should be honest and professional, leaving a good impression as they move on to the next stage of their career.
Laviet Joaquin
Marketing Head, TP-Link
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