The Tug of War: Resignation for Emotional Satisfaction or Career Advancement

The former chairman of Tata Sons, the legendary Ratan Tata once spoke about the importance of thinking carefully before resigning from a job:

"I think people should think very carefully before resigning from their jobs. People should consider the impact of resigning on their career. Resigning can sometimes make it difficult to find another job in the same field. It's important to weigh the pros and cons of resigning before making a decision. People should make sure they have a plan for what they will do after they resign. Grass always appears greener on other side, most of the time it is a mirage.”

Diverging from conventional departures primarily motivated by professional factors, employees are increasingly opting to leave their positions due to emotional disbalances.

Emotional Reasons behind resignations initiated by employees:

• Interpersonal Disputes with Colleagues or Superiors

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Challenges

• Unhealthy Lifestyle Choices

• Perceived Lack of Recognition and Appreciation

• Misalignment with Organizational Values

• Personal Non office Life Challenges

• Ethical Dilemmas

• Unrealistic Expectations

• Peer Pressure

• Adaptability

• Reactional attitude

• Not accepting criticism

• Poor feedback acceptance

• Over conscious about self-image

• May way or Highway

• Romantic relationship issues at workplace

• Herd mentality

• Inability to manage conflicts.

• Giving too much importance to self by trying to harm organisation.

• Inability to accept the setbacks.

• Addressing self-non-performance issues through separations

• Inability to manage stress.

• Passing blame on others

Professional Reasons behind resignations initiated by employees:

• Career advancement

• Job enlargement

• Job enrichment

• Change of career path

• Reasonable Monetary gains proportionate to the risk of job change.

• Learning opportunities

• Sustainable and stable career path

• Company downsizing or restructuring, layoff, retrenchment.

• Change of geography

• Macro-economic or Industry factors.

Nobody is indispensable in this world either in work life or personal life. Its futile to allow your career moves by emotions.