It seems like we are living Bob Dylan’s song “The Times They Are a-Changin’” in so many ways. This is often the case when a situation turns to correct itself, the pendulum swings hard in the opposite direction. And it’s mostly great! We are in a revolution of many sorts and
where will this wheel stop, I have no idea.
Many aspects of our lives are being affected in this current revolution: work, housing, personal and professional relationships, just to name a few. It truly is great that we are going through this. A lot of light is being shed on inequalities at work that have been in place for a long time, and now we are correcting them.
As I mentioned, in the midst of all this change, it seems that the pendulum has swung way too far in the other direction, and it’s not all in a good way. In case you did not know, J2 is in the technology staffing industry, we are in the people business. Which means while our expertise is in technology, it is also in people. We see and talk to lots of people all day. I hope I am clear; we deal with people, all day, every day. ?
Given that I have written a blog titled “It’s All About Me”, the following statement may make me seem like a hypocrite. I am all for looking out for number one. But, somewhere along the way many folks are acting like it’s all about them and no one else matters. Don’t get me wrong…I am not talking about all or most; I am talking about many.
There has been a lot of talk about the “Great Resignation”. Many folks are leaving the workforce for a variety of reasons. Change is great and I am all for it! But I have an issue with the people that are “ghosting” during the process. WHY!? All that shows is your unprofessionalism and in the process you have burnt a bridge. While I get the craziness of this market and the speed at which it moves, I am a believer in keeping promises and commitments. Though I understand that better things come along or that circumstances can change, what I can’t comprehend is the lack of respect and appreciation for the person on the other side.
Picking up the phone and saying “I am no longer interested and here is why” is tough to do. But simply not showing up to whatever you committed to doing is disrespectful and at some point the pendulum will swing the other way. People have long memories, and by taking the easy way out you end up hurting yourself in the long run.
As much as I am fan of making it about me, I am never a fan about being selfish. At the end of the day, it’s about reputation and I rarely see a reason to ruin it and burn a bridge.
“Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.”– H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Take the tough road this weekend, you’ll be happy you did.
V-