Issue #30: The Great Irish Goodbye (Now a Certified Networking Strategy)

October 14, 2025

💌 From the Editor’s Desk

Welcome back to Work In Progmess, where we raise a glass to anyone who has ever slipped quietly out of a networking event without enduring the awkward exit parade.

This week’s headline? The Irish Goodbye gets a rebrand, from social faux pas to cutting-edge leadership strategy.

Because in a world obsessed with visibility, sometimes the boldest move is disappearing entirely.

— The Mess

📰Headline Shocker

IRISH GOODBYE OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS TOP NETWORKING SKILL OF 2025

Experts say leaving early is the new leaning in.

NEW YORK, NY — In a shocking shift in professional etiquette, career experts have officially declared the Irish Goodbye the most effective networking strategy of 2025.

After decades of “working the room” and “closing conversations gracefully,” data now shows that quietly vanishing without a word generates 32 percent more intrigue, 58 percent less small talk, and 100 percent fewer awkward goodbyes involving fist bumps and half-hugs.

“Networking used to be about connection,” said Dr. Lana Hsu, Professor of Professional Vibes at Georgetown. “Now it’s about mystique. People can’t ignore someone who just evaporates mid-sentence.”

The Professional Association of Ambiguous Exits (PAAE) released new guidelines encouraging professionals to adopt the “Strategic Vanish” in business and social settings alike. Sample best practices include:

The Buffet Exit: Leave mid-bite and let your plate tell your story.
The Bathroom Bluff: Announce you’ll “be right back” with the confidence of someone who won’t.
The Ghost Networking Method: Send a follow-up email two days later that begins, “Sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye, but I think we made a strong connection.”

Critics warn that the movement could encourage even greater social disengagement. “If everyone Irish Goodbyes,” one analyst asked, “who’s left to say goodbye to?”

Still, corporate culture appears to have embraced the change. Several major companies have already replaced their traditional closing statements with “I’ll… uh, let you go.”

Career coaches say this evolution reflects a broader truth: in the modern workplace, presence is powerful, but absence is magnetic.

🪑 From The Editor’s Desk

Let’s be honest. We have all wanted to Irish Goodbye our way out of something, a conference, a coffee chat, or a “casual networking mixer” that feels like a group anxiety exercise.

Here’s the lesson. It’s not about running from people. It’s about running toward authenticity. Real connection doesn’t require you to be the last one in the room. It just asks you to show up, and know when it’s time to leave.

Networking isn’t about collecting contacts. It’s about being the kind of person people remember, even after you have left the room.

📩Until Next Time…

Forward this to someone who is still at the event, trapped in a corner conversation about crypto.

Then disappear. Silently. With confidence.

— The Progmess Editorial Team

🔗 Bitter End

If you have ever Irish Goodbyed your way out of a networking event and thought, “Maybe I should be doing something that actually excites me,” this one’s for you.

Before you sneak out of your next meeting or mixer, grab our Dream Recommendation Guide — a quick, free download that helps you figure out what kind of work (and people) you actually want more of in your life.

Think of it as your strategic exit plan from “meh” to meaningful.

👉 Download the Dream Recommendation Guide

Because sometimes, the best networking move is leaving the wrong room to find the right one.

Find us on all the Socials!