The Business of Business

The recent termination of a local football favorite has sparked anger from many fans. Chris Cooley, an eight year veteran with the Washington Redskins, was fired Tuesday, August 27th because he was no longer serviceable to the team.

Arguably, Cooley was one of the most likeable players on the team in a long time. And since he played during an era where the team was woefully bad, his production and demeanor endeared him even more to the fans. Undoubtedly the fans needed a bright spot to hold on to during a protracted period of disappointment, and with the cast of characters and failures coming and going on the team, the good guys who gave it their all every Sunday captured the hearts of the fans even more…Cooley personified this good.

Admittedly, I had a visceral response to the news of the release, feeling sad that one of the true class acts of the team was being ushered out. I did not, however, for one minute think his dismissal was a bad thing or wrong for that matter. My initial and only impression was and is that this was business.

There, I said it…the B word…business.  It is a dirty little word that evokes fear and disdain in the hearts of many. Not to mention what it does to those given the charge to execute it.  Inherent in business is the obligation and responsibility to do what is right for the corporation or organization. Moreover, it is understanding when to execute difficult actions and having the wherewithal (read: GUTS) to follow through.

Having run a nonprofit organization for 5 years and managed people for many more, I have seen my fair share of supervisors who shrank at the thought of removing a person for a justifiable cause.  Ostensibly, many of these folks vacillated in their attempts to do the right thing, often times failing to act because of personal feelings for the person who was being released.

That's just bad business.

The success of a business is predicated on its ability to grow and meet the needs of its consumers. When an employee, product or resource becomes dated or ineffective, business must move to address the failing component in order to ensure the business remains competitive and efficient in its work. Though these decisions may be difficult sometimes for myriad reasons, good businesses understand that these decisions are paramount to their success.

I understand and empathize with people who allow themselves to get enamored with a person and loathe the thought of having to fire or remove a person, especially one who once performed at a high level. However, change is inevitable. And in the ebb and flow of change, the right decision in critical moments can be the pivotal difference between failure and success. Good business necessitates that a good manager effectively handle these moments with poise and resolve, always keeping what’s best for the business first and foremost.

Business is business and must maintain its integrity despite the popularity of its decisions. We are all susceptible to loss and failure, and perhaps this vulnerability is the foundation for our dismay when unpopular business decisions are made involving people or things we have an affinity for. Business, however, often has very little room for emotions. The true measure of the effectiveness of a buiness decision is not how you feel when it was made but the outcome realized from its impetus. 


S. McGill

One of the most powerful things in the world can be obtained and used liberally by anyone who chooses to use it.  "If" can be the beginning of something great or the acquiescence to defeat. How will you use your "if"?