Well, the dark cloud created by Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell discussed in my previous blog remains over the head of the Razorback Nation. For those of us not actively involved, what we learn about ourselves and how we grow from this is all we can gain from this situation. I use this to see what I can learn personally and what content can I add to our leadership training, keynote and breakout session that will benefit others.
I can’t count the times as a Human Resources Area Manager that I received a call from a manager stating an infraction of an employee and asking this question, “Can I fire them for this?” This is never the right question. The correct question is; “Considering all the facts and information, what is the correct action for the long term benefit of the organization?” Here is how I handled those situations.
If it was a performance issue, I always requested to see the documentation of previous discussions. To go from zero to termination in a performance issue was unacceptable. In fact, it ALWAYS throws up a red flag when a manager wants to pursue termination on an employee with no documented discussions. It has been my experience that any manager that has the elimination of the livelihood of an employee as “first choice” has another agenda. If this is allowed to occur, it is a failure of the HR department and upper leadership. There are other employees that could have the same situation occur and there would have been a discussion about correcting the problem. As an HR manager, you don’t have to dig very deep to find this.
However, the issue in Fayetteville is not a performance issue. From what we know, it is a policy or contract violation. In my mind, it is an integrity issue. Even on these, no leader would go directly to dismissal without reviewing the facts. Remember, “Can I fire” is never the right question. Most leaders use the Seven Tests of Just Cause as a “gut check” to see where they stand legally and if they have any compassion, personally. These are:
- Was the employee forewarned of the consequences of his or her actions?
- Are the employer’s rules reasonably related to business efficiency and performance the employer might reasonably expect from the employee?
- Was an effort made before discharge to determine whether the employee was guilty as charged?
- Was the investigation conducted fairly and objectively?
- Did the employer obtain substantial evidence of the employee’s guilt?
- Were the rules applied fairly and without discrimination?
- Was the degree of discipline reasonably related to the seriousness of the employee’s offense and the employee’s past record?
In our current dark cloud, I’ll allow you your own opinion of these. I’ve always said they save the best for last because #7 is the one that asks, “Does the punishment fit the crime considering their history”. Here is some food for thought. In my mind this is absolutely NOT a performance issue. It is an integrity and character issue. I’ve always felt the best test of character is to give a person power.
I would like to share a Life Resume Update I received from a mentor in 1989 as I assumed my HR position. Jim Mcmains (RIP) told me, “Greg, you can work on an employee’s quality, quantity, safety and attendance but YOU cannot instill honesty and integrity in a person. They either have it or they don’t. You will never be good or lucky enough to catch a thief the first time they steal from you and until they change their heart, they will steal from you again.” This advice was proven true many times by observing second chances on integrity issues.
Here is where I disagree with many of the comments I see about this issue. In my opinion, there has already been at least a second chance given. A reputation and integrity is something that is built a brick at a time over a lifetime, not when you accept a new position. As a newly hired coach, your previous W-L record is left behind but your reputation and integrity are permanently attached. Whenever something is said or done that hurts your reputation or allows others to question your integrity (lying), you aren’t allowed to remove a brick from the top. You must remove a brick from the bottom, the foundation. If enough bricks are removed, the foundation of your reputation and integrity crumbles.
From what I’ve read about Petrino’s history of integrity in the past, Jeff Long granted at least a third chance to Petrino when he brought him onboard. So did the fans. We embraced him. We gave him a third chance. We were excited about our future for the first time in a long time. Bobby Petrino chose to prove Jeff Long’s decision to give him a third chance, a bad one. It’s that simple.
It’s a shame that the only crystal ball that leaders have access to is the one that looks into the past, not the future. However, past history is normally a very good indicator of future behavior. Normally, the only thing that changes this is a huge dose of humility and personal responsibility. I have never associated Bobby Petrino with humility. I still don’t. After reading a comment about him being in pain and on medication as a possible reason of not being forthcoming (lying for those of us sick of political correctness), I’m not sure of his stance on personal responsibility.
Petrino’s actions have placed him in the mode of don’t do what I do, do what I say. We didn’t like it from our parents and I don’t think it will be well received by a player that has crossed the line.
This is not about football, donations or attendance. This is about what we as an Arkansas Razorback fan want to be known for. We have to choose what we want to stand for and be remembered for. This is part of our history, our legacy. We are setting a long term precedent for what we will tolerate. You do not receive in life what you deserve, you receive what you tolerate.
We have to make a decision that we will stick with no matter what Jeff Long decides. “Can we fire him?” Yes, this is a Right to Work state but that is not the right question. “Considering all the facts and information, what is the correct action for the long term benefit of the organization?” That is the correct question.
I have always been a Razorback fan and no matter what the decision, I will remain a Razorback fan. I trust Jeff Long to make the right decision. He has more facts that any one of us. This decision may be the most important brick to date in his reputation wall. We all have our opinion on which brick should be laid. Me, I’ll take the bricks of integrity and character. Why? Because I feel certain the bricks of integrity and character also contain winning seasons in the future. I don’t feel as certain that the brick of winning seasons contains integrity and character.
This blog is intended to initiate the thought process of leaders. It is not intended to be political or draw a line in the sand. It’s intended to remove emotions and look at decisions as long term. It’s intended to get us to look at decisions and choices as selfish or selfless. Most of us are not the AD of a major university. You may be a supervisor at a local business or a parent that has had your trust violated. Although I’ve never seen two identical situations, the points of consideration remain constant. The beauty of America is freedom of choice. You pick the brick you want in your legacy, I’ll pick mine and Jeff Long will pick his. Five years from now, the Razorback football program will still be open for business. >
