Monday, October 08, 2007

Never Assume.... Ever!

The resignation of key staff is rarely welcomed by Mine Host.
Particularly so when the resignation is a snap one.
In what seemed a fit of temper, delivered verbally, out on the floor, at midnight on a busy night, came such a resignation.

A management walkout. Just like that!
Calmer debriefing a few days later revealed that the resignee had spotted their job advertised on an employment forum, and done their block.

"What else am I supposed to do, when I see my job advertised?"

The resignee then glinted evilly at Mine Host "What would you expect anyone would do, when they get shafted like that?"

Mine Host remained silent, shrugged at the resignee and watched them, having just thrown away a key role, walk out the door into the world with a gaping hole in their resume.

Bitterly the resignee did not even look back, their heart full of contempt and despising Mine Host as a "backdoor operator".

* * *

It is always unwise to assume.

Mine Host had indeed advertised the position, though none but him and the recruiting agent knew this.

Mine Host had opted to promote the person who had (now) resigned. The new position would have been on double their current salary + bonuses, which when added up meant the new package was at triple the current salary.
Instead Mine Host now had the added burden of TWO key positions to fill.

Confide in the resignee? Show them their error, agree jocularly that they had jumped the gun, and allow the resignation to be rescinded?

Not on your nelly! Mine Host's business is his own. He certainly is not going to take into his confidence someone who makes an impluse resignation of a career position on the strength of spotting a generic classified ad.

Mine Host wonders how many people already in key roles are considered for a promotion at triple their current salary.

Mine Host wonders also how many of his fellow men have unknowingly walked away from what would have transpired to be similar circumstances?

2 comments:

oigal said...

Mmm..

Nomally I agree with your view on life in this case..wow...Not!

"though none but him and the recruiting agent knew this." obviously not, the employee knew? It does not matter that he/she assumed wrongly, must have appeared a right kick in the guts.

If you were planning to promote then, then they had shown you considerable loyalty so the deception is unwarranted.

"Show them their error" There was an error and it was not theirs, leadership 101. You hold all the aces in the game mate.

Mine Host's business is his own. He certainly is not going to take into his confidence (You never did it the first place, thats the issue) someone who makes an impluse resignation (You are well aware of personal pride why is the concept alien to your employee)of a career position on the strength of spotting a generic classified ad (no it wasn't, the employee noted it and was correct it was his job hardly generic).

"how many of his fellow men have unknowingly walked away from what would have transpired to be similar circumstances?" and how many employees have given their all to a company and then had their position sold out from under them..loyality and confidence is a two way street and if you didn't trust your manager enough to tell of the plan then why promote him?

Actually mate, you cocked this up from whoa to go

Mine Host said...

Hmm, interesting points.

However the employee did not know it was his job advertised, for the ad was a generic one.

Promotions are only for those with ability. Loyalty, though expected after the fact, is rarely able to be a consideration. In this age of extremely low unemployment, highly competent staff do not sit around in jobs which are way below their competence level.

Taking staff (or anybody for that matter) into my confidence has in the past resulted only in my strategic direction being blabbered all over town. I prefer my competitors to not be fully informed of my strategic moves until I make them.

This reluctance to take people into my confidence certainly applies to staff who have been only a few weeks on the payroll. (As had been the dear departed one who was the subject of this posting)

I only offer promotions once I have something concrete to offer, and once it is too late for my competitors to act head me off at the pass.

I would be a fool to repeat past mistakes, I do not apologise for my actions, nor resile from them.

Were I to take staff into my confidence as to strategic direction, I would go out of business, or at the best, stagnate.

:-)