Stinking Thinking

Angry Employee Deletes All Company Data is the title of this news story I recently posted. My question is how did this employee go from reading a help wanted ad to believing she was about to get fired?

“When Marie Lupe Cooley, saw a help-wanted ad in the newspaper for a position that looked suspiciously like her current job — and with her boss’s phone number listed — she assumed she was about to be fired.”

From the moment I heard this story to posting it here at Interview Chatter, I have been wondering about how Marie Lupe Cooley leaped from a help wanted ad to her termination. The saddest part of this story is that she was not going to be terminated, but today she is unemployed, because she made a huge assumption. And it cost her big.

Here’s what I want you to take away from this story:

1. Before you assume you are getting fired, ask questions. Ask your boss for feedback and be willing to listen. Keep in mind that your stinking thinking will get you in trouble. Don’t allow yourself to have toxic thoughts about your employment. If there are issues get them resolved as quickly as possible.

2. If you decide to leave your organization, don’t burn the bridge. What’s yours is yours, but what belongs to the organization, remains with the organization.

3. Sabotage should not be an option. If you are angry and you can’t maintain your professionalism, leave graciously.

I found this story fascinating because this whole mess began with a thought Marie Lupe Cooley had regarding her employment. If you have not heard the story, take a minute and read it before you read on.Here is the lesson for every employee out there. When you get a thought, rather than react based on the information you have, verify, check and reverify before you take action. Marie Lupe Cooley is no longer employed. She lost her job over an assumption on her part