Send the card round, without anyone finding out
- Press Make a leaving card and make it theirs: open it in Solta, choose Make changes and say who is leaving and from which team.
- Send the link to the team in a channel or a thread the leaver isn't in, with the day you need messages by. A week before the last day gives people who are away time to sign.
- People sign with their name and a message, and see everybody else's, so nobody writes the same thing as the person before them.
- A day before, open it and count the messages. Anyone missing gets a nudge with the same link.
The card is Unlisted, so only people with the link find it. A password keeps it to the people you told, if the link might travel.
What to write in a leaving card
A good leaving message is short and specific: one thing they did, one thing you'll miss, and a wish for what is next. Some to start from:
- For someone you worked with closely: “I learned more from sitting next to you than from any course. The new team has no idea how lucky they are. Keep in touch.”
- For a manager: “Thank you for backing me when it mattered, and for the honest feedback when I needed that more. I'll be stealing your one-to-ones.”
- For someone you didn't know well: “It was always good to hear you on the Monday call. All the best with what comes next.”
- Light-hearted: “Who is going to remember everybody's birthday now? Not me. Good luck, and come back for the Christmas do.”
- For a retirement: “Thirty years, and you still made the new starters feel like they'd been here for ever. Enjoy every slow morning.”
Leave out anything you wouldn't say in front of the whole team: everyone with the link reads every message.
Opening it at the leaving do
Put the card on a screen and press Open the card. It shows one message at a time, large, with the name under it, and confetti on the way in; the arrow keys move between them. If the leaver would rather read it alone, send them the link on their last day instead. They keep the link, and Print makes a copy for the fridge, or a PDF.
How many people can sign
10 messages fit on a free card, which is a small team. For a department, a card pass opens that card to 1,000 messages for $9 once (£7 in the UK and €9 in the euro area, tax included). On Pro and Team every card takes 1,000. More on how many messages a card takes.
Questions
How do I send a leaving card round without the person seeing it?
Share the link in a channel, thread or email the leaver isn't on. The card is unlisted, so it can't be found by searching, and you can add a password if the link might travel.
Is the online leaving card free?
Yes, for up to 10 messages. For a bigger team, a card pass opens that card to 1,000 messages for $9 once (£7 in the UK and €9 in the euro area, tax included).
Can people sign from home or another office?
Yes. It is a web page: anyone with the link signs from a phone or a computer, with no app and no account.
Can we chip in for a gift on the card?
Not on Solta: the card collects messages, not money. Collect for the gift the way your team usually does and mention it on the card.