Last week we called Moe (not his real name), an engineer who was elevated to the ranks of management at a software-development firm four months ago. We’ve seen Moe through battles with an extremely productive employee who liked to play the marginsand has since left the companyhis realization that the budget he was promised is not the budget the department has to spend and upper management’s decision to prioritize a pending IPO over problems with a new product. We happened to call Moe for our monthly update with him in the evening at home. “Good thing you called me here,” he said. Why?
“I got fired last week.” What happened? “It was the day after the product went into public beta. We were all drained after pulling all-nighters for two days straight, and had come in late to check download counts, catch up on email, that sort of stuff. I got called into the vice president’s office. He asked me how I thought things were going. I thought about listing the problems but I guess I was tired and I just said, ‘Not well.’ He said, ‘Me neither. And I think I have a solution.’ He paused for a second and said, ‘I want you to resign today.'” Moe will do fine. He has been deluged with offers for freelance work and says he’s ready to take the right management job. But he does sound humbled. “I’ve always left jobs on my own terms and when I wanted. The last time I was asked to leave anywhere was a play in ninth grade when I didn’t show up for rehearsal. So let’s say this is a new experience for me. I’m trying to learn something from it. I think I did a good job considering what I’d been given. I wish the VP had given me some advance warning that he wasn’t happy with me. It happened too quickly. I was more surprised than hurt, I guess.” Moe says his biggest concern is not for himself.
“I’ve got two incomes now: a two-month severance package and the fees for my freelance work. So financially speaking, I’m just fine. But I hired two people in my four months as manager, and they came because I recruited them. I don’t know what will happen to them.” WorkSpace will continue to check in monthly with Moe. If you have any advice for him, pass it along.
