By | Nathan SV | Partner and Chief Talent Officer at Deloitte India
Everything was going well for Bala. A new manager had joined the firm and he was asked to meet him. He was looking forward to the meeting. It was his first with the new manager and he was confident. However, within minutes the meeting went south. Partly because he was unprepared for the depth of the discussions and details, but more because his manager made a snide remark, “wonder how you were a top-rated performer last year!” It touched him to the quick. He did not say much. He quietly left the cabin after some insipid conversations that made no difference to him. He came to his desk.
Bala was a top performer and here was a manager who questioned his worth. He decided to leave the company. He was well qualified and quickly got a job that paid him more and with a good brand. He met his colleagues and bade them goodbye. Went to his manager and said with an air of arrogance that he was moving on. His manager tried to retain him, but he would not listen and said that his decision to move on was final.
Four years passed. His HR leader called him to wish him on his birthday. He was surprised that despite his leaving the organisation, his HR head still remembered him. “How do you like your new place of work?” was the question. He responded honestly that it was not the same. Not something that he enjoyed, perhaps the culture. The next question was thought provoking. “Did you make the right decision to move on? After an awkward silence, Bala said that he had resigned in the spur of the moment. A momentary loss of reason. His ego was touched to the quick, and he had left in a huff. There was regret in his words.
At times, we take actions in a moment of madness. Something just snaps within us making it difficult for us to see reason. Bala admitted that perhaps his new manager wanted him to do even better and he could have misread his words. He had learnt a lesson – most lessons are not from any university or through formal education he said. More from life lessons. He would not make the same mistake the manager made in his first meeting with his team member. The HR manager was amazed at the depth of the conversation with Bala. A morning well spent on a call with someone who left the firm. Good learning!
Republished with permission and originally published at Nathan SV’s LinkedIn
