The Burninator

By now, you've probably heard about Greg Smith and his rather pointed op-ed piece in the New York Times. A well written, forthright assessment of Goldman Sachs by Smith doesn't leave the reader with the impression that he is considering the possibility of working for them in the near future - the first paragraph clearly sets the tone for the rest of the article.   Images of Trogdor kept floating through my mind as I read it.   While he may have excellent reasons for leaving the company that everyone loves to hate, I'm not sure that such a dramatic departure would work well as a template for everyone.

In the days leading up to my departure from Trane, I was surprised by how many of my coworkers wanted to know if I was going to "burn the bridge" by telling management exactly what I thought of them and their organization.    In fact, I was determined to share my perceptions and opinions during the forthcoming exit interview.     While I had a great discussion with the engineering VP surrounding the reasons for my departure, I wouldn't characterize it as bridge burning.   Rather, I felt I owed him something of an explanation and therefore attempted to be as factual and data-driven as possible - even going so far as sharing the weighted Pugh concept selection spreadsheet I had developed.    I appreciated his time and thought it was a good conversation; I think (and hope) he'd say the same.

There may be times, however, where the bridge is already burning and there isn't anything you can (or should) do to stop it.   One former employer was rather heavy handed, and failed to honor a previous agreement.   If the bridge was smoldering when I left his employ, it was engulfed in flames when he received a letter from my lawyer.   Such cases are the exception and not the rule, however, and such action should only be taken after seeking council from others and getting impartial advice from trusted associates.    I believe that had I been vengeful during that time instead of trying to remain polite and impartial, the matter would not have been settled as quickly as it was.

Aside from such exceptional circumstances,  any short-lived emotional satisfaction of telling the boss to go to you-know-where may have consequences in the future; there is little to be gained from burning bridges in most cases :

• Not tossing the match honors the team(s) you worked with.   If they are worthy of your respect and loyalty, why not take advantage of the opportunity to provide constructive feedback to leadership to better their environment?  
• The emotional satisfaction you might gain from burning the bridge is temporary, but the feelings it will create in others are indefinite.   It may come back to haunt you, especially in an always-connected, social media world.
• You may not have the whole picture.   Especially in larger organizations, things that happen may not be under the control of your first or even second level manager.   They may be just as frustrated as you - perhaps even more so - and unleashing your wrath on them only increases their burden.

Before lighting that fuse, look around.   Listen to others' perspectives.    Carefully consider the possible outcomes.   If, after doing all that, you think you still need to put flame to fuse - go ahead and write an op-ed piece in a major newspaper - it will give us bloggers something to talk about.

Ever had hair signed off your arms while lighting the match?   What happened?