Resign and Stay Back? The repercussions!

Some of us resign and regret, some of us stay back after quitting and then regret. Which one are you?

Have you resigned and then stayed back?

I think many things change in the next phase of stay after you offered to quit or threatened to leave and then got retained.

So, how does the work context change on these fronts?

Your own mindset

Once you have shot this resignation arrow and stay back, every time you have a bad day or a moment are you likely to regret the decision of having stayed back. Every time you want to make an argument against any decision you may tend to step back feeling a sense a gratitude for your employer/boss who retained you.

Your Boss

Your supervisor is likely to think of you as somebody who can quit again. HR would work with this at the back of their mind even thinking of replacement options should you resign again?

 Counter offer

Lets say you stayed as your current employer matched your 50% salary hike of a competitor. Would you be under pressure to perform better?

I think your boss would be constantly asking him/herself if their decision to retain is financially prudent every time you underperformed.

Your bargaining power

Lets reflect on your credibility. Will it change with your bosses and peers ? Would the trust ever be the same again? I reckon you might be a little lower in your boss's favourites' list thereafter

Flashback time; Reflect on these two experiences

1. One of my peers in her 2 decade long stay threatened to leave at least 5-6 times, She got a few plum assignments. You think her capability to threaten over resignations got her that growth? or she was just emotional and that's how she was. Make no mistake she was a top achiever in most assignments. In her case her bargaining power only seem to increase
2.  One of my ex colleagues resigned and then stayed back as his manager requested. But, now he complains that he does not have the same pecking order like he felt in the past. Its either real or his imagination? cant tell for sure.

Seems like resigning and staying back have their own consequences depending on your context of staying back and the context of the organisation for asking you to stay.

If I have to stick my neck out I would say, "You will be on a imaginary weighing machine everyday thinking if you made the right decision by staying back."