By Linda Van Valkenburgh, MS, CCMC, CJSS
New York is ripe with sports sensations.
First it was Jeremy Lin and Linsanity. Now, there is lots of hoopla about quarterback Tim Tebow, who was traded by the Denver Broncos to the Jets. The acquisition of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning by the Broncos set the wheels in motion. Tebow, the quarterback who brought the Broncos to the playoffs after a long hiatus, was traded to join a team in turmoil, the New York Jets. So here you have a good guy who did a good job being sent to the showers. Sound familiar? Did you ever do a good job at work and then, in the blink of an eye, you are given the pink slip? It comes as a shock and hurts to high heaven to find out that your efforts for your employer are unappreciated.
The Tebow firing is analyzed in an article by Suki Shah of the New York Daily News on March 23, 2012, in the “Your Money” section entitled Work Like Tebow: Doing a good job doesn’t always mean you’ll keep your job-ask Tim. In this article Suki Shah says that “there are good reasons why Tebow landed back on his feet so quickly and could end up doing to underachieving incumbent Jets QB Mark Sanchez what Manning did to Tebow. Shah outlines several things to do to help you be resilient like Tebow in the face of a situation such as this.
First, do not concentrate on your bad fortune. In Tebow’s case, he handled the change with “grace and professionalism,” according to Shah. To quote Tebow, “We’re talking about Peyton Manning,” said Tebow. “I understand exactly what the Broncos are doing.”
Next, Shah says you should “find a new boss that appreciates your particular expertise.” This means that you should seek out a company that will understand the value that you bring to the table and provide you with opportunities to grow and flourish in your work. The hope is that Tebow will help be a driving force to improving the “divisions amongst the Jet players.”
Thereafter, Shah says to “Learn to be a team player.” In everything that you do, it is important to get along with others and work well in a team setting. “It’s in our nature to work in teams, and we rely on our teammates’ strengths to work together to achieve the best results.”
Lastly, Shah points out that “Success isn’t only about your ability to execute. It’s about your ability to lead a team, to instill confidence and inspire passion.” While Tebow is not a perfect worker, suffering from issues with throwing accuracy, he exudes role model and positive attitude. Shah cites a quote from Tebow’s personal website that says, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” What does this mean for you, the job seeker in career transition? No matter what comes your way, work hard like Tebow and you may end up being asked to leave one job where you were a good worker quickly landing somewhere else with more opportunity!
Please leave me a comment and let me know if this helped you. As always, if you are struggling in search, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
Every success,
-Linda