Is there a good way to be fired?
Posted by Ellee on Nov 27, 2006 in Uncategorized | 15 commentsIt seems former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is very peeved at the way he was fired by George Bush.
Sympathy for him is so strong that Rummy had a standing ovation at the
American Spectator dinner last week to help heel his hurt feelings, regardless of his poor performance.
Nora Ephron describes how according to administration officials, only three or four people knew Rummy would be fired – and Rumsfeld was not one of them. His fellow presidential appointees, including some who did not applaud Rumsfeld’s performance in office, were surprised by his treatment. Norah concludes:
“Good gracious me. Donald Rumsfeld, who to the best of my knowledge has not lost a wink of sleep since he helped lead us into this sorry war, spent a whole day on the verge of tears because of the way he was fired? Because no one had the courtesy to tell him in advance? Because he believed it when Bush told the press that Rumsfeld would serve until the end of his Presidency? “
I don’t think there will be a wave of sympathy for Rumsfeld on this side of the pond. I also wondered if there was a right way, or even a right day, to be fired. Nora gets the point across:
“My favorite of these Firing Victim scenarios is the one called, “They fired me on my birthday.” You can’t imagine how many people walk around complaining that they were fired on their birthdays. “They fired me while I was in the hospital.” “They fired me a week after my mother’s funeral.” “They fired me right before Christmas.” Almost any firing can be made into a Firing Victim scenario, especially if you throw in national holidays. I recently bumped into a Very Powerful Woman who complained bitterly that she had just been fired while her partner was in labor. I mean, I’m sorry the woman was fired, but how was anyone to know that her partner was in labor? Was this common knowledge? Had the labor been going on for days? And how long would the person who fired this woman have had to wait? Until the epidural wore off? Until the baby was home from the hospital?”
(I think we have to have to draw our own conclusions about the woman whose partner was in labour).
Certainly Rumsfeld has no case to whinge, he should have gone long ago. Being fired has led to bitterness from our own sacked Ministers – the names Charles Clarke, David Blunkett and Michael Meacher immediately spring to mind. The true test of their character is how they continue to handle themselves, how to put it behind them and move forward, keeping the public on their side.
Have you heard anyone complain about how they were sacked? Do you feel Rummy has grounds to feel aggrieved?
I’ve ahd to do some firing in my time and there’s no easy way. I learnt from a mentor of mine that the best way was probably to go to his patch where he feels most sure of himself and deliver it softly but straight, together with precise reasons.
Never. At that level its pure performance. He did not perform at all. So, he is paid heaps of money… so he can cop the flack…
Hey Jim.. Dumped in Mildura.. Gawd! I remember that day SO $%^&! well! Never mind..
)
There is an interesting psychological issue here – cognitive dissonance. If someone doesn’t feel they deserved to be fired (and who would), they will need to seek a way to resolve this inner conflict. Being the victim, blaming someone else, “I wanted to leave anyway”, for example. So giving someone a reason they can use to explain to others (and themselves) helps make firing easier to accept.
I love the way some politicians manage to spin an angle on their departure – such as “spending more time with their family”. How could Rumsfeld spin this? Maybe it is the fault of the Iraqi people who just don’t appreciate what this war has done for them….or perhaps Bush was play-acting being Donald Trump in the White House version of The Apprentice.
It’s far more effective to be measured in criticism, rather than appear bitter. Though Robin Cook resigned and wasn’t sacked, he always retained an air of dignity despite his disagreement with the government over Iraq. Unusual in a politician.
Curmudgeon,I love your final paragraph, I guess this guy was totally oblivious to what was going around him, or maybe he had wind of it. Anyway, I’m glad he found he found another job.
You can imagine Rumsfeld’s surprise: President Bush didn’t fire anyone. Not publicly.
Bush to Michael Brown of FEMA post-Katrina: “You’re doin’ a heckuva job, Brownie.” Brownie finally left after he was almost hooted out of town.
And 9/11? Did anyone get sacked? Not hardly.
No weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Intelligence services around the Western world fooled badly? What did President Bush do? He gave a medal to the retiring CIA Director.
I agree that Mr. Rumsfeld should have been shown the door much sooner — actually as soon as the insurrection began. The original American administrators were completely out of place; he should have gone then.
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Now your other question: There’s never a good time to fire anyone. At my old firm, we had a guy we wanted to fire — but, first, it was his birthday. Then, it was too close to Christmas. Then, his wife was having a baby. He’d be there yet, I suppose, except I think he found another job….
Republicans and Democrats, the generals, the media, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, the first President Bush, and even Laura Bush all have long wanted Rumsfeld gone. Until the recent political setbacks for the Republicans, only VP Dick Cheney and George W. were willing to resist the pressure to get rid of the defence secretary. Rumsfeld was “useful” to them as he was willing to take the brunt of criticism for the errors of W’s administration. Rummy is a skilled political operator though- he would have known that his time was up. He might have felt disappointment, but hardly shock at being forced out….
Jim, You win some, you lose some, but keep on smiling, you will be lucky one day, hopefully very soon. Women have their fair share of disappointments too, so don’t be too hard on us.
It’s OK, I was actually done a favour – it retored my cynicism in women 100%!
One of the worst ways to be fired must be by text or e mail.
Jim, I can’t believe you’ve been dumped – their loss I say – and in such a cruel fashion.
Tim, Good point to a certain extent, but bitterness still shows through. I wonder how long it will be before Rumsfeld seeks his revenge, how true his loyalty to Blair will be from now on.
I don’t have any sympathy for Rumsfeld because he has shown no sympathy for all the people his policies have hurt and killed. And he’s not exactly going to be wondering where his next meal is coming from,is he? There’s no “good” way of delivering bad news so I don’t think there’s a “good” way to be fired. I do think employers could avoid giving people a thoroughly miserable Xmas by announcing redundancies just before it, though. And of course there’s a lot of “sneaky” firing going on whereby management just makes someone’s job impossible.
It isn’t so much that ministers are bitter. It’s more that they’re free.
They can say what they like because they’ve got nothing to lose.
I have never been fired, but I was once dumped by a text message and, more recently, by an email picked up in a internet café in Mildura, Victoria
Ellee I agree with you completely about this- I have sympathy for Rumsfeld as an intelligent man who just got it wrong but his sacking was deserved and should have happened when Abu Ghraib emerged.