The moment

Sofia has worked at an engineering firm in Berlin for five years. Tomorrow she's handing in her resignation letter, but first she asks her manager, Liam, for a quiet word in a meeting room. Liam doesn't want to lose her, and he tries to change her mind. Listen for how Sofia stays kind and firm at the same time.

The conversation

SofiaLiam
  1. Sofia
  2. Liam
  3. Sofia
  4. Liam
  5. Sofia
  6. Liam
  7. Sofia
  8. Liam
  9. Sofia
  10. Liam
  11. Sofia
  12. Liam
  13. Sofia
  14. Liam

Words to know

a short private conversation

make her decide something different

you accept a decision or reason, even if you're disappointed

start working for real, for a system or project

Check yourself

1What does Liam offer to try to keep Sofia?
2Why does Sofia say no to staying?
3How do they solve the problem of the Munich project?

Practice · 3 min

Round one: repeat each line in the gap. Round two: mute Sofia and resign in your own words: hear it from me first, the decision, a thank-you, a last day. Round three: mute Liam and ask her to stay without pressure. Notice how Sofia says no to his offer and yes to helping in the same breath.

  1. SofiaThanks for making time, Liam. I wanted you to hear this from me first.
  2. LiamThat sounds serious. Go ahead, I'm listening.
  3. SofiaI've accepted an offer from another firm, so I've decided to move on.
  4. LiamWow. That's a real loss for us, though I can't say I'm surprised.
  5. SofiaIt wasn't a quick decision. I've loved working on this team.
  6. LiamIs there anything we could do to keep you? We could look at your salary.
  7. SofiaI appreciate that, really, but I've made my decision. It's about the role, not the money.
  8. LiamFair enough. What sort of notice period are we talking about?
  9. SofiaMy contract says four weeks, which takes me to the twenty-eighth.
  10. LiamCould you stay until the Munich project goes live? That's the week after.
  11. SofiaI can't push the start date, I'm afraid. But I'll write a full handover plan.
  12. LiamThat would help a lot. Jun could take over most of your clients.
  13. SofiaGood idea. I'll sit down with him this week and go through everything.
  14. LiamThank you, Sofia. We'll miss you, and the door's always open.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.