The Finger
The Finger of Blame
Blog Post Re-Visited. A current situation with one of my clients caused me to dig into the archives and pass this older posting along. In reading the comments I decided to bring it up to the top for all to see.
Unfortunately it is common for people that fail at something to point the finger of blame at anyone but themselves. Recently a salesperson who was failing at a job with one of my most successful clients resigned. Rather than admit to his inadequacy for the job, he blamed the company, the system, the product and anything else he could think of short of himself.
Do It Now!
Quitting a job where you are not succeeding is fine, even honorable. We all hate to see someone quit and leave, but it’s worse when they quit and stay. Listening to the sour grapes of this particular person made it clear that he had “quit” long before saying, “I quit.”
Everyone can be successfull when on right job, and staying on the wrong one, just to get the money delays future success.
Talk to the Boss
When struggling to succeed at anything, look in the mirror and have a serious talk with the boss. Ask yourself what you could be doing better. Hold yourself accoutable for your results. After all, it’s your future.
June 1st, 2009 at 9:48 pm
So true! So many times unhappy people wait until they are ready to officially quit or get fired and then they unload about how rotten the company is. Up until the dumping, they fake it and take the pay.
Once your hearts out of it you are better off getting yout butt out of it as well.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 am
The only time I ever had to quit a job was because the boss really hated me for her own reasons, (jealousy, perhaps), or for sexual harassment. Moving to another state and quitting for that reason doesn’t count. I usually could handle the job or get along well enough with most co-workers and, customers were my forte, 99% of the time.
Take this “lacker”, perceived as a slacker, under somebody’s wing, teach him a few tricks of the trade, give him some encouragement, let him comprehend what is being done incorrectly, show him the correct way and then, at least you know you gave it your best shot. You don’t know what may be going on in some bloke’s head, or personal life. Perhaps someone is really trying, but the perception is that they are not good or interesting in improving in their job, and they feel like they are banging their head against a wall because of gossip tearing them down. Work peers dissing and shunning and laughing at you can make or break an environment.
Even if they quit or get fired, talk to them privately and figure out the root of the problem, for their sake as well as the company’s. Agree to disagree, but take under advisement any issues, and ask them to do the same. Not everybody gets it; doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be great at something else. There are lots of things we can all do well, and quite a few things we would be terrible at. It is all in a life’s work.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Fired or Quit, let them succeed somewhere else. Don’t judge….what good does that do?
Char
Yesterday I spoke with a girl who had been at macy’s 30 years and she was wondering if her job was secure…… No job is secure, however we must all find our own security within and follow our own passions even if it takes working job after job… to quit a job or to stay in a job without security either way doesn’t make you less successful.
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:58 am
In this day and age of employees and even students “going postal”, I say it is in everybody’s best interest to treat whomever is leaving, for whatever reason with DIGNITY!
“Okay, so it doesn’t seem to be working for you here, perhaps this ISN’T your niche. Please, go in peace, find your place in the work world, and you have our best wishes on your future success. If you want me to recommend a book or course that I think would best fit you, or may I suggest you hire a life coach or take an aptitude test, or what did you love doing at age 5, they say that is what you should be doing for life.”
Words to that effect may soften the blow and be food for thought. Losing a job puts a person at their lowest. Unless they were stealing and need to be dealt with accordingly, kicking someone when they are down doesn’t serve any useful purpose. It shouldn’t be the worst thing that ever happened to them, but just a door closing so a window can open somewhere else.
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:56 am
“Runaway” shows a bit too much compassion here. As I read the original post I am reminded that this person QUIT; was not fired, and then chose to dump on he company that had been paying him. Jim Collins in “Good to Great” says to “get the right people on the bus” and if a wrong one gets on there to boot him off ASAP so as to be able to take care of the right ones. One wrong person slows down the bus. It’s hard to measure the damage this person with the bad attitude did behind the owner’s back, while still on the job, taking the money.
With all of that being said, “firing” someone is another story and in that case, “Runaway” has it right.