Decline-the-Counter Script Bank

"I really appreciate you and the team putting this together. I have thought about it carefully over the last day. My decision is to move forward with the new role. I want to make sure we have a strong transition - I am committed to leaving things in a great place, and I care a lot about the people here. Can we spend the next two weeks making the handoff as smooth as possible?"

"That is a generous offer and I do not take it lightly. Here is where I have landed: the reason I started looking was not compensation. It was [career trajectory / scope / manager relationship / team direction]. Money is wonderful but it does not change that underlying reality for me. I am going to move forward with the new role. Thank you for fighting for me."

"I hear the offer of [title] and I am grateful you are willing to put that on the table now. The honest thing is: I asked for this kind of growth conversation months ago, and it did not happen then. I have to go with the path that is actually in motion, not the one that becomes available only when I resign. I am going to move forward with the new opportunity."

"I appreciate the request to stay longer. I cannot push the new start date - I have committed, and that team has built their plan around it. What I can do is make the next two weeks extremely useful for you. Tell me the three most important things you need handed off, and those will be my priority."

"I understand this is not the news you wanted. This is not a reflection of my respect for you or the team - you have been a great partner and I have learned a lot. This is a decision I have made for the trajectory of my career, and I am at peace with it. I want to keep the relationship strong on the way out, and I will do everything I can to make that happen."