The Perils of Threatening to Quit Your Job

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN

“The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit.” Morgan Freeman

A colleague recently told me a story about a senior nursing leader who threatened to quit her job when she was asked to implement a change that she felt strongly was not in the best interest of her staff. Not surprisingly, the situation was very emotionally charged. She ended up winning this battle and the change was not implemented. However, all was not well in the work environment. Her boss was extremely angry about her response. My colleague wondered about the longer term ramifications of threatening to quit as a negotiation strategy. Had she won the battle but would ultimately loss the war?

All of us have been in situations where we have felt that our opinions were not being respected. It can be very tempting to imply that you will start looking for other employment options. Even if you are a very high performer, will this behavior actually lead your boss to realize how amazing you are and grant your request? The answer to this is probably not. There are perils to consider when you threaten to quit.

1. You run the risk of looking brash and impulsive.

2. You are not demonstrating the type of executive presence that is expected of top leaders in organizations.

3. You will damage the trust between you and your boss.

4. You risk losing the respect of your colleagues who will see you as an ineffective negotiator.

5. Your boss will view you in a different light and your loyalty could be called into question.

When you are working hard and effective in your role, it can lead to feelings that you are irreplaceable. Nobody is irreplaceable. Even if you historically have had a good relationship with your supervisors and received good performance evaluations, issuing threats has the potential of shifting the dynamics of a relationship. It also indicates that you are probably not as strategic as you might believe in your ability to negotiate. What you have done in this situation is issue an ultimatum and that is not fair negotiating. It may also compromise your reputation when you do decide to leave. Leadership expert Michael Hyatt has noted that when you leave an organization, you should strive for the following outcome: “You want your employer and fellow employees to celebrate your contributions, grieve your departure, and eagerly welcome you back if ever given the chance.”

The reality is that threatening to quit is not a good strategy. It might make you feel good and you may achieve what you want – once but it is a very destructive long-term strategy. It is also never a good negotiation tactic. Instead, carefully monitor your responses, stay cool and avoid being impulsive.