The Last Goodbye by Matt Potter

The Last Goodbye came to my attention when the author was interviewed on CBC last fall.  It is not something I would normally pick up, but its subject matter amused me as I had just left a job. It is a somewhat serious, somewhat whimsical examination of the oft-neglected art of the resignation letter.  The author is not only an aficionado of the dramatic exit, but a practitioner, as he has ghost-written many resignation letters for others.

He identifies seven themes or approaches that can be discerned in the genre and provides numerous examples of how they have been publicly expressed. These themes include the "Conversation Killer," the "Insider Hit," the "Kamikaze Protest" and the "F*** You and Goodbye" among others.  In his first chapter, "The Truth Bomb," he explores such famous public resignations as Greg Smith's open letter published in the New York Times where he exposed the "toxic and destructive" environment at Goldman Sachs and George Orwell's resignation from the BBC that began "For some time past I have been conscious that I was wasting my own time and the public money on doing work that produces no result." Potter offers an in-depth analysis of many resignations revealing the often hidden sub-text of the message.

Throughout he provides insights into the many ways employees express themselves when they can no longer maintain the status quo.  From the Jet Blue steward who famously released his plane's emergency chute and slid down to freedom to George Bush's resignation letter to the NRA, each story provides compelling insights into human psychology. In some letters, you can hear the squeak of a rat as it tries to take the moral high ground just before abandoning a sinking ship, while in others you hear the distinctive snap of a loyal and long-suffering employee finally breaking. Potter also discusses how employers respond and the crisis-management techniques initiated when they are faced with a high-profile defection.

So if you find yourself burdened under the supervision of a micromanager who finds fault with everything and losses it if he doesn't get his way or you are experiencing the subtler tortures of working for a thin-skinned narcissist who is oblivious to the needs of her subordinates, this book may provide you with vicarious thrills and cathartic relief or even inspire you to finally craft your own "last good bye."

Three and a half smileys out of five. 😀😀😀😶