co-workers. boss

Who says courtesy doesn’t count? More than a week after Lebron James announced “The Decision” to leave Cleveland for Miami as a free agent on an hour-long special on ESPN, the world renowned basketball star is still being ridiculed. Similar to leaving a job, or a personal relationship, some rabid fans would have been upset no matter how he left. But I firmly believe some of the pain and bad feelings could have been avoided. If I’ve heard it once, I feel like I’ve heard it a thousand times, the man known simply as “Lebron” should have shown more class than to let the Cleveland owner, coach and fans hear about his defection on national TV.
After several years of asking small business owners how they fixed their biggest mistakes, then suddenly observing outrageous antics of everything from burning jerseys to dropping the price of a life-size James decal from $99.99 to $17.41- the year Benedict Arnold was born- I’d say there’s a lesson. When you resign from any job or business relationship, try your best not to leave on bad terms. Every situation is different – and self-preservation is important – but in most cases, courtesy, etiquette and professionalism go a long way. No one is immune from the game of life. You can be on top of the world one day, and vilified the next day.
Take Lebron. Instead of having his people tell Cav’s team owners minutes before revealing his decision on national television, he could have told them much earlier he was leaving, even without announcing where he was going. It would have given the Cav’s options to improve after he left, and spared the public from later hearing about how he failed to return e-mails or calls from the team. The mega-millionaire’s talents and amazing fan support might have led him to talking about himself in third person – “I’m taking my talents to Miami,”- but how do you forget that the game is still a business. Business arrangements have at least two sides and emotions are real.
The take-away: Everybody should pursue their goals and dreams, but remember, whether you’re trying to climb a mountain or sink a three-pointer, it starts with a step. Chances are you won’t make the journey alone. So as much as you’re tempted to tell off your boss or a co-worker, why burn bridges? Don’t brag to co-workers about your great new opportunity. Simply give your boss the courtesy of an advance notice about your departure plans. Then thank them again for their support. Similar to former fans, you never know when you’ll run into a former employer, supervisor or co-worker.