On the TunneySide of Sports September 9, 2019, #760 What Do I Do Now?
After further review…Let’s hope your past week was a good one. It wasn’t for some 1200 National Football League players. You see, September 1st was “cut-down” day for all 32 NFL teams. When the 2019 NFL regular season started Thursday, September 5th, each team’s roster was limited to 53 players. In addition, a practice squad of 10 players is allowed. During training camp and preseason, teams will have 80-100 players trying-out for those 53 jobs.
“Telling a player that we had to “cut” (release) him, for me, was the most difficult part of being an NFL head coach,” Herm Edwards once told me. Of course, following his 8 years as the head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, Edwards is now in his second year as Head Coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe, Arizona. He still has similar types of decisions to make for the Sun Devils roster. But in the NFL, it’s the livelihood of those men. While it may be a great disappointment for a college athlete, he’s in school to prepare himself for a career. If he’s an undergraduate, he can try out again next season.
Have you ever been cut or fired from a job? If not, you are missing out on one of life’s most personal challenges. One of the first things that comes to mind when that “grim reaper” appears is: “What do I do now?” Friends and loved ones will tell you: “When one door closes, another one will open?” Yeah, but when your world collapses, you struggle to keep positive. However, begin to look for that next door to open – and it will! It may not open when you want it to, but, as has often been said: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
Hopefully, the person making the decision to fire you is someone who will look you straight in the eye, explain the decision and point out other opportunities – in and out of whatever your current job happens to be. You hope that person making that decision will wish you well and leave the door open for you to call if they can help further. It’s never easy. If, however, you are the one in-charge, be sure you express those feelings to those you are releasing. After all, you did hire/employ that individual and felt at the time it was a good decision. Unless the firing is for egregious behavior, you still are releasing an individual with whom you had confidence.
Will you treat people with dignity no matter what the situation might be?
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If you were unable to attend the book signing at River House Book Store yesterday (Sunday), ”Yet Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports” is available there for $20 or by sending a check to Jim Tunney Youth Foundation (501c3) P.O Box 1440 Pebble Beach, Ca. 93953 includes personalized autograph and free shipping.
This offer is available to the continental United States only.
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To contact Jim, go to JimTunney.com or email Jim@JimTunney.com. Jim’s books are full of inspiration and interesting stories. Please visit his online store to learn more. Be sure to get Jim’s book ‘Another 101 Best of TunneySide of Sports’ by clicking this link or using the email above to contact Jim directly. These TunneySides take issues from real-life situations and relate them as inspiration for the betterment of others. Jim is available for speaking engagements on leadership and T*E*A*M Building. His books are available for $20 which includes shipping and tax. The Tunney Bobblehead is available for $30. Please visit JimTunney.com. Thank you!
