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The average person changes jobs every two years and nine months, according to a survey by the career advice website Career Sidekick. If you work for 40 years, that translates to about 15 jobsand 15 resignations. While the conversation can feel difficult, its important to be thoughtful about how you say goodbye, says Melody Wilding, author of Managing Up: How to Get What you Need from the People in Charge and human behavior professor at Hunter College in New York City. A lot of people boomerang back to a company, team, or manager in a fairly short time, says Wilding, who is also a contributor to Fast Company. Having strong relationships with leaders and colleagues could also be a good for getting a reference, LinkedIn recommendation, or referrals to new roles. Delivering a resignation, however, can involve heightened emotions. Resentment, frustration, burnout, and fatigue may have caused you to seek a new role or company, yet you likely have a desire for civil, diplomatic, and tactful conversation, says Wilding. Sometimes those two things can be at odds, she says. You’re not only dealing with your own emotions, but you’re also trying to project other people’s reactions. Is my boss going to be upset or ask that I leave right away? The desire to get [the conversation] right and secure your future can put pressure on you. Do the pre-work Wilding advises doing some pre-work before you deliver the news that you’re quitting. Be ready that the reaction may not be positive, especially if youre involved in sensitive work, she says. They may say, Thanks for your two-week notice, but actually you can be done today, she says. Before you exit a team and possibly lose access to your work, Wilding recommends taking stock of what youve achieved in your role. This isnt about stealing anything that’s company IP or proprietary, she says. Its updating your résumé, putting together a case study that you may want to reference in the future, updating your LinkedIn profile, and writing some posts based on what you did while you still have access to all of it. Next, put together a transition plan. While it sounds intimidating, it simply needs to be a rundown of your projects and their stages. You could also put together a guide for standard operating procedures, about how you do certain things. Wilding suggests including contact information or different stakeholders so the person who assumes the job can easily take over. Putting together a transition plan is valuable because it shows that youre thoughtful and solution-oriented, says Wilding. Prepare for the conversation After youve done the pre-work, prepare for the conversation, which should be done in person and not through a written platform, says Wilding. Virtual can be fine over Zoom, but you want it to be in real time so the person can hear your tone of voice, and your sincerity can come through, she says. Too much can be lost over email or messenger. A good rule for managing up is to not let the people above you be negatively surprised, and it applies to leaving, too. Wilding says if you go into your one-on-one and the news completely sideswipes your manager because they didn’t see this coming, they’re probably going to have a much stronger negative reaction. Instead, set the stage by saying, Today in our one-on-one, I’d like to put aside five or 10 minutes to give you an important update that I have. At least they know something’s coming, says Wilding. You don’t have to disclose I’m telling you that I’m leaving, but you can say, I wanted to discuss my trajectory here or I want to talk about my next steps in the organization. It gives them a heads up that can be crucial. Skip to the chase Most people feel some nerves when they share news that theyre leaving. While it can be tempting to make small talk, Wilding recommends fighting that tendency and jumping to the chase. Frame it from your perspective, she says. You can say, I’ve made the hard choice that it’s time for me to move on. [This date] will be my last day in this role. You can be honest and say, This wasn’t an easy decision for me or I thought about this a lot. I know it will be hard for the team. You don’t have to apologize. Keep it focused on your situation and what is right for you and your career. This isnt time to have a feedback conversation about the difficulties in the role, adds Wilding. Break the news and focus on moving forward, she says. Next, talk about how you will transition out of the role and leave the team in a good place. Having your transition plan ready provides the perfect tool for refocusing the conversation if it starts to get emotional. If they say, How could you do this? This is such terrible timing, you can say, I understand, and that is not my intention. What I think would be helpful is if we focus on how we implement this plan, says Wilding. It gives you something tangible to keep circling back to. Its important that you feel emotionally grounded going into this conversation, adds Wilding. This is not the type of conversation you want to squeeze between two other meetings, when you may be rushing from one thing to the next, she says. Also, dont feel like you need to keep talking. When we get uncomfortable, we tend to over explain, says Wilding. If you’ve had a good experience, you can say, I’ve enjoyed my time here. If it wasnt the greatest experience, you can say, I’ve learned a lot from my experience here, which is true even if you work somewhere where it’s been difficult. Then say, On this date, I’ll be moving to this company or this new team and then be quiet. When we inject strategic silence into a conversation, it projects more confidence than just rambling. Think about external communications It’s also important that you shape the narrative that’s being told about why you’re leaving and make sure its an accurate story instead of letting people fill in the gaps. Ask to be part of the communication roll out, especially if you have clients, vendors, or cross-functional partners that need to be notified, says Wilding. Ideally, hand over a transition message, says Wilding. Or, at the very least, be proactive about saying to your manager and HR that you want to be part of that communication. Wilding also recommends writing a post aout what you learned during your time there or gratitude for your team. You can use that as a jumping off point to share what you’re doing next. Throughout the process, keep your interactions healthy and strong, says Wilding. In most industries, it’s a very small world, she says. Dont bad mouth anyone. Even if you don’t end up working directly with the same people, you may have shared colleagues who come up in conversation. Put things in the past and move on. You want to be able to have a network of weak ties for the future so you can reach out for a referral, expand your network, and provide references or recommendations for others.
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E-Commerce
Greg Creed spent 25 years at Yum Brands, including more than a decade in leadership roles at Taco Bell, before he retired from the company in 2020. He offered this unsolicited advice after a rough quarter for McDonalds, in which same-store sales fell over 3%, the companys worst drop since the pandemic. The problem, Creed asserts, is that McDonalds isnt chasing menu options that its customers will crave. And without a menu that elicits a strong reactioneither positive or negativefrom diners, McDonald’s is just being beige. Nothing as a brand is worse than being beige, Creed wrote in a recent LinkedIn post. It upsets no one, but lets be honest: No one loves beige. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/Expedite-Icon-E-white-background.jpg.jpg","headline":"Expedite","description":"Restaurant technology and the big ideas shaping the future of hospitality, by Kristen Hawley. To learn more visit expedite.news","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.expedite.news\/","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} In the companys first-quarter earnings report, McDonalds CEO Chris Kempczinski cited uncertain economic and geopolitical conditions as reasons for the sales slump. Traffic to McDonalds fell more than expected, even as the company leaned into its value messaging. Still, McDonalds has raised prices as inflation persists. Were not immune to the volatility in the industry or the pressures that our consumers are facing, Kempczinski said. Comparatively, though, Taco Bell is killing it. In the first three months of the year, sales are up 9%. Traffic is up too, regardless of customer income. These numbers were a bright spot for Yum Brands, also the parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut, which reported mixed results in the first quarter. I know this is a tough operating environment for everybody else in the industry, Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said during his companys recent earnings call. It just is probably an environment that favors Taco Bell, and thats what youre seeing there, firing on all cylinders. From his position on the outside, Creed can only speculate on whats happening. But his hunch is Taco Bells success comes from its willingness to aggressively push new menu items, like its crispy chicken nuggets, a former limited-time offering that just made it onto the menu for good. Its not that McDonalds cant innovate, Creed says, its that the companys structurewhere he guesses operators have more input on menu items than the marketing departmentis slowing it down. I always thought of McDonalds as an operating company, Creed said via email. Whereas I used to say when I ran Taco Bell, that we are a marketing company that just happens to sell Mexican-inspired food. Process aside, Kempczinski expects McDonalds fortune to turn. Like Taco Bell, its adding more fried chicken to the menu with this weeks nationwide launch of fried chicken tenders called McCrispy Strips, and plans to lean hard on its value offerings to reach a stretched consumer. The biggest co-sign of Creeds analysis, though, comes from current Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant. In response to Creeds LinkedIn screed, he wrote: Nuggets (pun intended) of gold, Greg. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/Expedite-Icon-E-white-background.jpg.jpg","headline":"Expedite","description":"Restaurant technology and the big ideas shaping the future of hospitality, by Kristen Hawley. To learn more visit expedite.news","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.expedite.news\/","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. The speed and breadth of the changing political/cultural status quo in the U.S. has been breathtaking and disorienting for brand leaders across the tech/business community. Some leaders have gone all in to kiss the ring of the new status quo. Many more are wrestling with the question How do I continue to support the ideals my brand believes in without causing serious self-sabotage? This article is intended as a conversation starter, not a neat solution, and is informed by decades of experience of building the most influential brands as well as a series of 2025 interviews with leading founders. It puts forward a set of three principles and concrete actions to help leaders get on the front foot again. 1. Rebrand initiatives for minimum drama, maximum impact Inspiration: The rebranding of progressive finance We can learn from the example of the progressive finance community, which is in the process of rebranding its entire category, swapping trigger words such as ESG for terms like energy security. Surveying fund managers and analysts, the FT noted, The new world of sustainable investment will have a greater focus on energy transition, better regulation, and less virtue signalingESG as a synonym for sustainable investment is likely to disappear but the trend, in its revamped form, will continue. This is a great example of reframing language to focus on the nondebatable goal of ensuring our energy suppliers resilience, no matter what your view on the causes and speed of climate change. 2. Stick to your values, but focus on outcomes: The Flo Health approach Flo Health, a leading womens health app, successfully navigated the post-Roe v. Wade landscape by focusing on science-backed healthcare outcomes rather than political rhetoric. Instead of engaging in ideological debates, the company stayed true to its missionimproving womens healthby highlighting established medical research demonstrating the negative impact of restricted reproductive care. This wasnt just talk; it sparked tangible innovation. Flo Health introduced Anonymous Mode, a game-changing feature that allows users to track their menstrual cycles without fear of their data being misused. The move resonated deeply with users, addressing concerns about digital privacy at a time of heightened vulnerability. The results speak for themselves. By keeping the focus on action rather than controversy, Flo Health experienced a 55% surge in paid subscribers, solidifying its position as Europes first femtech unicorn. In the U.S., the app has become an essential tool for reproductive health, with an estimated 40% of women who were trying to conceive, relying on it. Flo Healths approach underscores a key lesson: Brands can stand by their values and drive meaningful impact without performative statements, earning both community trust and business success. 3. Adopt an adaptive Day One mindset focused on current needs over historical wrongs This mindset has long been advocated by innovative CEOs, treating each day as if its the first, willing to let go of the past with a focus on excellence and opportunity. I believe that now is the time for brand leaders to apply the same lens in a new world with a new set of rules. Reduce talk of correcting historical injustices and focus more on actions that drive the maximum benefit for the majority of people. Example: Rockets blockbuster Super Bowl activation Rocket, a leading provider of mortgages in the U.S., returned to the Super Bowl in 2025 with a goal to unite a divided nation around the principle that everyone deserves a shot at home ownership. The campaign was intentionally crafted to find common ground from the choice of music (one of the U.S.s most beloved country tracks) to representative, authentic casting from young families to veterans, to the topic with 94% of Americans believing that homeownership is part of the American dream. With two million people visiting Rocket.com within an hour and the largest brand lift of any Super Bowl advertiser, the impact illustrates the power of the approach with feedback showing that people from both sides of the political spectrum saw themselves in it. Final word Navigating this complex landscape requires courage and a commitment to acting with intention, orienting towards inclusive solutions over rallying against partisan problems. There is no one-size-fits-all formula but adopting a Day One mindset offers a way forward where values drive decisions but outcomes drive communications. A blend of purpose and pragmatism to achieve maximum impact with minimum drama. The examples above illustrate how this strategy can yield significant benefits, from strengthening community trust to driving commercial success. Were all writing the new playbook for purpose-driven performance in real time, and I remain stubbornly optimistic that this evolution will, over time, elevate the industrys ability to create lasting cultural and business impact Neil Barrie is cofounder and global CEO of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand.
Category:
E-Commerce
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