Pundits today are espousing on LeBron James’ announcement last night that he will depart his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, and head to South Beach to play with the Miami Heat next year in the NBA.
courtesy Google Images
And, while it may…or may not…be of interest to you as a sports fan, there is a vitally important business lesson here.
This morning’s Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports fans are “sad, sickened, and angry” about Akron-born and raised James leaving the area and his home team. A fan says this is the “worst day of my life.” Another article calls his decision a “betrayal” to his hometown.
Imagine this: His former employer, the owner of the team, Daniel Gilbert, wrote fans saying, “Our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal. This shocking act of disloyalty from our homegrown ‘chosen one’ sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And ‘who’ we would want them to grow up to become.”
Here are — from the business perspective we focus upon here — the hard, cold facts: It’s not that LeBron James wasn’t loyal. It’s that he chose to be loyal to something other than the organization.
Will there ever come a time that business owners and managers realize that all of us who are employees are loyal to PEOPLE and not organizations?
The people who work for and with you are loyal to their managers, their colleagues, and their own respective friends and families. Visionary and dynamic businesses understand the need to create the kinds of compelling connections that move employees to enhance their loyalty and affirm their commitments to your team.
LeBron obviously had problems with the former coach, Mike Brown…and had no emotional connection with the newly appointed one, Byron Scott. And, with an owner immediately writing a message filled with the vitriol of the previously mentioned one, you have to question what the relationship between those two was like…
LeBron is loyal to his family. But, they probably thought living in Miami had some appeal. LeBron is loyal to himself. And, a championship seems much more likely with the Heat.
But, LeBron was also loyal to his friends. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are close pals and now all three will play together in Miami.
But, here’s the important point — with the lack of connectivity he was feeling at the workplace, he decided to move to where he could work with friends and be around colleagues he respected — even though he would have made $30 million more to stay in his current position.
Look, I realize that it’s easy to dismiss this as another spoiled athlete story. And, frankly, that may be the case.
However, it’s also VERY instructive for us to remember that people are more loyal to managers and colleagues than they are the organization. And, that we are in danger of losing our best employees — even to organizations offering less compensation — if our competition offers them a more compelling experience at work.
What will YOU do to ensure this doesn’t happen to your organization’s best people?
On LeBron and Loyalty…
July 9, 2010 · 5 comments
Pundits today are espousing on LeBron James’ announcement last night that he will depart his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, and head to South Beach to play with the Miami Heat next year in the NBA.
courtesy Google Images
This morning’s Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports fans are “sad, sickened, and angry” about Akron-born and raised James leaving the area and his home team. A fan says this is the “worst day of my life.” Another article calls his decision a “betrayal” to his hometown.
Imagine this: His former employer, the owner of the team, Daniel Gilbert, wrote fans saying, “Our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal. This shocking act of disloyalty from our homegrown ‘chosen one’ sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And ‘who’ we would want them to grow up to become.”
Here are — from the business perspective we focus upon here — the hard, cold facts: It’s not that LeBron James wasn’t loyal. It’s that he chose to be loyal to something other than the organization.
The people who work for and with you are loyal to their managers, their colleagues, and their own respective friends and families. Visionary and dynamic businesses understand the need to create the kinds of compelling connections that move employees to enhance their loyalty and affirm their commitments to your team.
LeBron obviously had problems with the former coach, Mike Brown…and had no emotional connection with the newly appointed one, Byron Scott. And, with an owner immediately writing a message filled with the vitriol of the previously mentioned one, you have to question what the relationship between those two was like…
LeBron is loyal to his family. But, they probably thought living in Miami had some appeal. LeBron is loyal to himself. And, a championship seems much more likely with the Heat.
But, LeBron was also loyal to his friends. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are close pals and now all three will play together in Miami.
But, here’s the important point — with the lack of connectivity he was feeling at the workplace, he decided to move to where he could work with friends and be around colleagues he respected — even though he would have made $30 million more to stay in his current position.
Look, I realize that it’s easy to dismiss this as another spoiled athlete story. And, frankly, that may be the case.
What will YOU do to ensure this doesn’t happen to your organization’s best people?