MYTH : My manager has done a lot for me, so I can’t leave the company.
REALITY: Your manager may leave the company without thinking about you.
Every manager loves to have employees who are loyal to him. It’s easier to manage them. So, how have those employees become loyal? The manager must certainly have helped them in times of need. It might have been about hiring them when they were unemployed or saving them from mistakes that could have impacted their career: Or, it might have been about assigning them responsibilities which brought in a positive change. Even financial help might have been extended; or it might have been about granting the requisite leave period for an employee to cope with a personal crisis. Whatever the reason, the employee feels safe, secure and indebted to the manager. However, the issue of ’emotional blackmail’ can also arise, where the manager reminds his trusted employee of all that he has done for him; then the employee might feel so indebted that he wouldn’t be able to tell his manager that he wants to resign.
In all this, it Is Important for an employee to know that rejecting an excellent job offer because he thinks it might hurt his manager, is being downright foolish. The employee could well be left in the lurch if the manager joins another company. So, if an employee is convinced that he needs to join a different company, he should be able to tell his manager exactly that, despite all that he ‘owes’ him.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS THE EMPLOYEE? The best way to handle such a situation is to differentiate between personal and official favours. The personal favour that the manager has extended ought to be acknowledged in your personal interactions with him. You should also be able to reciprocate when required. But this personal favour should not be mixed with anything official. The official support that the manager has extended is part of his job; and it is also what was best for the company. You should be thankful to the manager for all his help, but that doesn’t mean you have signed a contract to work with him for life.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS THE MANAGER? If you are genuinely interested in the well-being of an employee who wants to leave) then you will be supportive of the decision and even provide some valuable opinions on the job offer he has received.
