Day: April 18, 2010

This is a true story. I have a friend who heads the India operations of a well known European MNC. He has been with this firm for the past decade. During these years he has built up a fantastic track record of  successfully managing assignments in different countries, leading teams to achieve success and is generally well regarded by his employer. Over the last few months he has been experiencing ‘career fatigue’. We would often chat about the “What next?” question. He was wondering if he was still viewed as a valuable part of the firm’s long term strategy.This is a dangerous phase to be in. This is where the employee starts flirting with other potential employers. So when the headhunter called, my friend agreed to meet the prospective employer for a “no-obligations, just a chat” meeting. One thing led to another and he landed up with this plum option which sounded ever so interesting. Now came the difficult bit. Of telling the current employer that he was ready to move on. What was intended to be a 140 character Twitter like conversation became a portal conversation with everybody in the corporate pantheon wanting to join hands and prevent my friend from leaving the firm. He was wined and dined by all. Everybody from the Chairman to the mail room assistant told him how much he mattered and how irreplaceable he was. They told him what was the next big role he would do. And that he was a part of an exciting project that would give him much needed exposure to the growth markets. (more…)