A Farewell Note to Your Coworker: “You are still young but your skills and qualities are something I always looked up to”.
When you hear someone say “humans are social animals”, they are actually stating a fact. Ever since we are brought in this world, we are surrounded by people. Yes, in Tarzan’s case there were no humans at the beginning as he grew up with gorillas but we cannot say the same for everyone. From the very beginning, we are introduced to a social circle in the form of our family. Our parents, siblings, grandparents and relatives become the first people in our lives with whom we share a bond. As we grow up, we begin to realize that we cannot cage ourselves in this one circle. And so we start expanding our circle. The term “companion” or “friend” was at first not in our vocablary. But when we do step out in this big world, we start learning about these new form of relationships. It could be the neighbor’s kid or maybe, the first kid we meet at the first day of our school, we find companions, or more likely, friends in them. As life continues, we meet several people in our lives. With some we decide to maintain a proper a distance and with some, we become close.
After becoming a part of a proper social environment do we get to see how big and complex this world. The types of people we meet continue to leave a mark on us. In some cases, we take inspirations from them and in some, they end up teaching us a life lesson. When we look back at our school or college lives, we realize how much the people around us continued to influence us. Friends, rivals, teachers and so many more; all of them left their mark. There are times when we even had to say goodbye to the person with whom we spent all of our student life. It is not always like when you graduate and decide to pursue your goals and go your seperate ways, that becomes the end of your relationship. But when we step towards the next stage of our lives i.e., our professional lives, things turn a little different.
Farewell Note to Your Coworker
If I ask you a question “how would you define a professional life?”, what will be your answer? Well, a general answer would be “a career in industrial or commercial or business activities.” But to simplify it that easily would be wrong in my opinion. When we start doing a job and enter the “office life”, we start seeing everything from a new perspective. During schools and colleges, it was not compulsory to interact with everyone in the classroom or your campus. However, such a situation does not prevail here. Our career life is slightly different from our student life as not only do we learn to understand the concept of responsibilities but also learn how to become a “diplomat”.
You may not have had a lot of interactions at your school or college but here, for the sake of your job, interacting with your coworkers and supervisors become a necessity. You may not know everyone personally, especially those who are not in your department, but that does not mean that you remain clueless about them. At your workplace, it is all about proper leadership, teamwork, coordination and communication and if these things are lacking, it may start affecting your career. That is why, maintaining a proper professional relationship with your colleagues is important.
However, is it really possible to continue maintaining a “professional” relationship with your coworkers all your life? Obviously not. Even though an office is supposed to be the place where you work, that does not mean you would not have a more lighthearted relationship with your coworkers. Being professional and stiff might help you focus but it can later sure lead to a boring career. As I mentioned above how humans are social animals and in every stage of our life, we meet a number of people who leave an impact on us.
Well, a work place is no exception. And so are your coworkers.
We humans have a inborn tendency to belong- whether it is to our families, friends or lovers. The same can be said when we are at work. Your office life might be a little boring and there are even times when you don’t feel any motivation to go to work, but one of the most important factors which make your work and work place a little more exciting is your coworkers.
Let’s go back to the time when you first joined your job and met this unfamiliar people surrounding you. It might have made you feel like you are back at the first day of your school when you felt so anxious and just did not want to let go of your parent’s hand. But then you realize this is what growing up meant. You decide to leave all of your worries behind and greet your fellow colleagues with whom you’d start working with. From there onwards, you start a new relationship in your life. Just like how when you were in school, making new friends looked kind of tough but eventually, you found some really amazing people. Here also, you end up stumbling up on such few people who would leave a lasting impact in your life.
To describe a relationship with your coworker as just professional would be a bad idea. At your work place, there are definite chances of you making mistakes and finding a few difficulties here and there. And in such a case it is a fellow coworker of yours who comes to help you out. Having a coworker necessarily doesn’t mean that they are working as equals with you though. A coworker can be anyone, it can be your colleague, a senior or a fellow junior. And then sharing the same job makes you understand how much you can grow as an individual with them. Not only do you get to see on what particular projects they are working but also you observe and learn how they are working and handling these situations. Looking at them, it boosts your confidence and makes you work harder. Your coworkers make you feel like you belong in this work. There are times when a junior of yours is stuck in a problem and you are the one who help you out and teach them how they can do the given task. There can be also instances when it’s your senior who helps you with a difficult project and guides you properly. At meetings, you observe your supervisor’s work and take notes from his way of presentation. All these little observations about your coworkers help you learn more about your job. According to a research done by the Center for Talent Innovation, it suggests that people are more productive, motivated, engaged and 3.5 times more likely to contribute to their fullest potential.
However, there are also recent studies which say that almost 40% of those surveyed feel emotionally and physically isolated at their workplace which is a serious concern. There is definitely a chance that you too must have also been in a time when you felt such stressful emotions. But during that time, it was a coworker who helped you out. Of course it is not compulsory to have just a working relationship with your coworker. Sometimes, you even end up making a friend at your job, just like how you used to make friends at schools and colleges. Not only do they help you out in such situations but also teach you how you can maintain a proper balance between your professional and personal lives. A simple and cheerful “Good morning” and “How are you doing” from your coworkers help you feel a little more excited towards your job. And such a kind emotion always helps you to make it through.
Apart from telling you about profession, they talk to you about other subjects as well. It is not like you can only discuss about work all the time. There are also chances that you share some common interests and values with them and start discussing about it. Whether it is during breaks or after work, engaging conversations with coworkers always help a person become more socially active. There can be discussions about politics, books, entertainment, maybe even science and all the new ideas that are emerging with time- these conversations with your coworkers help you form a great bond with them.
But what if one day you hear that one of a fellow coworker is resigning? Maybe you have known that person for a really long time and have formed a great bond with and even know the reason why they are leaving. Or maybe you have seen that person work closely and they are your inspiration. Whatever the relationship you may have shared with them, as a fellow coworker, you would definitely feel like giving them a proper and heartfelt farewell. Yes, gifts and bouquets are a great way to show your respect and appreciation but sometimes, adding a few words in the form of a thank you note is not a bad idea.
Example of Farewell Note
At work, with your seniors you often form a great bond. You learn from them and their guidance help you to learn and polish your skills. And if one day you hear them resigning, do not see them off with a gloomy face. There must have been times when you wanted to thank him for everything he has done for you but never got a chance. And this may be the perfect and last opportunity to show them your appreciation. Here are a few messages you can take suggestion from to add in your thank you note for your senior coworkers:
1. “Your guidance and assistance has always helped in working. At the beginning, I didn’t know how to handle so much at once. But your methods and way of working inspired me. You were a great guide and coworker to me and I hope that someday I get to work with you again.”
2. “I don’t know if I had ever gotten promotion if it weren’t for your assistance. Ever since I joined, I looked up to you and your work. The company was really lucky to have such an admirable worker like you. Your leadership qualities made me learn so many things from you. Thank you so much for teaching me and helping me become a reliable part of this office.”
3. “Even though there were times when we did not agree and our ideas didn’t match, I always appreciated you for you open and intriguing ideas. Having discussions with you over projects and other subjects helped me know about you as a person and I’m glad that we got the chance to work together. And I wish you luck for your future.”
4. “I know that ever since I joined the office, you did not like me. And I’ll be honest too, I didn’t either. But eventually, I saw your work and realized how hard working and incredible you are at your job. We had our arguments and debates from time to time but there were also times when I got the chance to work with you and observe your skills. You taught me a lot and I’m really thankful to you for that.”
5. “You have always been so cheerful and easy to work with, I never felt like I was talking to a senior. Your friendly good mornings made the office a happier place and your guidance and motivating words always made everyone feel better. Thank you for being such a great coworker!”
6. “I could never thank you enough for how much you have helped me out. For someone who had no idea about this job, you were the first one who taught and guided me. To me, you’re not just a coworker but a great friend and a mentor. And I will always hope the best for you just like you do. Working with you was a pleasure. Thank you.”
Saying goodbye to your seniors is a bittersweet feeling. And maybe with the help of these little messages, you’ll be able to convey your feelings to them. But instead of a senior, it’s your junior who’s leaving, then here are some short messages you can give them. It will make their farewell a memorable moment of their life.
1. “Your passion and determination has always been your strongest points and the way your learnt your work in such a small period of time is commendable. While I taught you about work, I got to learn so much from you as well. You have a lot of potential and a bright future ahead and I hope that you’ll be able to achieve your goal.”
2. “You are still young but your skills and qualities are something I always looked up to. I never felt like you were my junior. Instead of being picky, you were always eager to learn something new and everybody in the office respected you for your qualities. It was great to work with a talented person like you. Thank you for being a part of it.”
3. “Having you in the office made everyone’s day. You have always been such a hard working person and as I saw you progress, I realized how many more qualities you have as a human being. You have such a bright future and I believe whatever you choose for yourself, it will be a wise decision. Thank you.”
4. “Having you in the group projects was definitely a saver. You are so talented and your coordination with the team always amazed everyone. You are so easy-going and yet your passion for work always fired everyone up. Thank you for your great work and I hope you have a great future ahead.”
5. “Your assistance at work has always been such a life saver. You are such a reliable coworker, I’m pretty certain nobody will have any problem if they have you in their team. Thank you for always being such a great help!”
There are possibilities that you may not have been able to form a close bond with your seniors or juniors. However with your colleagues, with whom you’ve shared the same department for years and remained equals, giving a farewell note can be a little upsetting. But still, there is no harm in it as it’s your feelings you’ll be conveying to them. Here are a few suggestions you can choose from if you’re not able to write a proper thank you note to them:
1. “Watching you sit right next to me for so long has become a habit of mine. And now that it’s going to be empty, I genuinely feel sad. You were more than just a coworker to me and having such a person like you in my life makes me feel grateful. Thank you for always cheering me and making my day at job a little better.”
2. “You were the first coworker I talked to on my first day and ever since then, you’ve become such a important part of my life. You were a great guide and your work always encouraged me to do better. Having such an incredible coworker like you genuinely helped me a lot. Thank you for teaching me so much!”
3. “I know that we have always competed against each other but having a rival like you was great. I may have wanted to surpass you but I respected your skills and qualities and learned so much while working with you. You are a hard worker and I hope that you achieve even more success in the future.”
4. “You are not just a coworker to me, you are a friend. It’s not just about work I learned from you but also how your encouraging words helped me in my personal life too. Having an advisor like you is such a life saver. I will miss our days together at the office but I also wish you luck for your future. Thank you for always helping me out!”
5. “Having a coworker like you in the department sure was a blessing. You are not only easy-going but your skills and qualities are incredible. You were a role model to many of your juniors and believe me, your seniors and colleagues always looked forward to your work. I hope we get the chance to work again.”
Like I said before, having a healthy relationship with your coworker always helps but seeing them off can be pretty upsetting. Whether you get along or not, you do form a bond with them after sharing the same workspace for so long. But letting them know and appreciate them for how their presence and work has always helped is definitely something you should do. And if it is their last time at the job, then do not hesitate to convey your message to them.
also read: Good examples of farewell messages for students from teacher
