(This article is inspired by the happenings after Nana AmaMcBrown’s move from Despite Media Group to Media General)
The big question is: “How do employers view loyalty from employees?”
Just as there is a beginning to something, there is also an end.
Gone are the days when a person would trade their progress for loyalty.
Times have changed; the world we live in now is not like that of the past.
People are no longer trading their progress for the happiness of their leaders or as proof of their loyalty to them.
I do not know where this mentality of tagging people as “ungrateful” stemmed from, especially in the Ghanaian corporate world.
Indeed, it hurts when a person you have groomed and taught some very essential skills in a certain field of work comes to you and says they want to join another corporation or start up something on their own, especially if the said person plays a vital role.
The question now becomes, “Do we have to bully someone because of that?”
“Does a person not deserve respect for their preferences?”
“Has it become a sin to want change and progress?”
How did we get to this point?
Where does this strong sense of corporate entitlement come from in terms of how employees should go about their life choices?
I used to think that one essential part of being part of a corporation, aside from providing the corporation with your services, was to acquire certain skills that would not only shape and build you professionally but also in all areas of your life.
I believe that a person has the freedom and right to make decisions that they feel would add to their growth.
A person can switch job roles, companies they’re working for, and industries they are working in to suit their goals, desires, and aspirations.
Let us not make it hard for a person to desire change or, worse, take the bold step to accept some level of change in their life.
As Richard Branson said, “Every success story is a tale of constant adaptation, revision, and change.”
There would be no progress without change.
It is okay to not want to retire from the company you started with.
It is okay to resign from a company that trained you as a professional and go to another company that is offering you a bigger and better opportunity.
It is okay for employees to desire and push for change.
Let us all be more accepting of others’ choices, even if we are not in full agreement with them.
Let us learn to wish others the very best, even if their moving away would not directly benefit us.
Let employers and some employees learn to understand and accept the fact that no company owns a person, even if that company has a hand in their career.
Lastly, let us stop bullying people for taking up opportunities that would add to their wealth.