I’m a huge college football fan and like most of my brethren I've been captivated by watching this insanity unfold regarding the love triangle that is Texas A&M, the SEC and the Big 12. Being a recruiter As I I got to thinking about how this relates to the employment world and found that there are some lessons that can be learned here that are applicable in the workplace.
In case you aren’t familiar with the situation Texas A&M is a strong piece of the Big 12 conference that has always felt like the little sister to the University of Texas. Texas is one of the golden children of college football that has a silver spoon in their mouths. Over the past couple of years Texas A&M has begun to grow tired of this and decided that they want to take their toys and go elsewhere. Throughout the process they have created significant ripples by bickering with other conference members and publicly airing their grievances. So anyway – here are some things you can take with you.
1. If you are undervalued, underappreciated, etc – It is OK to move on
One of Texas A&M’s biggest gripes is that Texas gets preferential treatment and always gets what they want and need. Many of the people that I work with are in similar situations. There are a lot of organizations that do give preferential treatment. It might be something that is by design or it might be something that just happens, regardless it never is very fun for the person that is not preferred. That said it is OK to move on. However, I suggest that you first look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. Is there something that you can do to improve your standing? If the treatment is by accident can it be fixed? Sometimes these things can be fixed. In Texas A&M’s case nothing can really be done. Texas has the biggest, most profitable athletic department in the country and they use it to wield a heavy stick. Texas A&M is aware of this and they are looking to move on. This leads to some calling them crybabies or sore losers, but the reality is that they are looking out for their own best interests. In your career it is up to you to do this as well. You are your own best advocate and you should act like it.
2. If you decide it is time to go – tread lightly
One of the biggest reasons that Texas A&M is portrayed in a poor light is because of how they handled themselves. Over the past couple of months A&M has been very vocal in the media decrying the wrongs of Texas and about how things aren’t fair. I’m fairly certain that several of their other conference members agreed with them wholeheartedly but were unwilling to stand up in agreement to protect their own interests. A&M’s musings on the state of the conference did nothing but fan flames of resentment and did very little if anything to change the Big 12.
Again this is exactly how things work in an organization as well. If you have the power to leave it is the right thing for you to do – by all means do it. However, voicing your concerns publicly will get you nowhere. In fact they will most likely create a toxic situation and as the ringleader you will be the person blamed for it. Why should you care? After all – you’re leaving. The reason is because it is a very small world out there. Almost all companies conduct official references with people you select for them to talk to. However, good companies have people that are well connected and have the ability to get inside information. If you create a negative situation it will come back to haunt you. People talk and tend to remember the bad stuff. The simple facts are that if you worked for a company for five years and had 4 years and eight months of terrific service before you decided you were unhappy. People will remember the last four months even if the good drastically outweighs the bad.
3. Don’t resign until you have everything in order
A&M started talking publicly about leaving the Big 12 well before they were offered a position with the SEC. They have been led to believe that the offer was coming and everything seems perfectly in place. However, the reality is that there are a lot of moving pieces and after all of this there is still a chance that things won’t work out. If things don’t work out they will look just plain stupid. It can be worse for you and for your career.
I’ve worked with several people that have jumped the gun and resigned their job before the actual offer came through. Some have been luck and it worked out. Others… not so much. A job offer is not final or binding in my mind until it is in writing and signed AND all paperwork and background checks have cleared. That drunk driving conviction from ten years ago that the hiring manager told you wasn’t a big deal could be a big deal to HR. Just make sure you don’t resign before it is certain.
Once things are set in stone have all of your ducks in a row as well. Prepare for this beforehand. Make sure that any phone numbers, email addresses or the like that you want to keep are stored somewhere you can take with you. Be prepared for them to walk you out the door.
4. Don’t burn the bridge!
I can’t draw any comparisons to college football on this one just yet as it is still uncertain if Texas A&M is going to leave. That said you should always do your best to leave gracefully and don’t burn the bridge on the way out. The same concept applies from #2. If you are given the opportunity for an exit interview, don’t pull any punches. Talk about how great things were and how thankful you were to have had the opportunity to grow with the company. If you exit with class this is what people will share – if you exit like a tornado – it will dominate the conversations about you for years to come.
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