It is interesting to see as time goes by and the older you get, you see some of the same things occur over and over again. Whether it is meeting new people or moving in different industries for professions or starting a new program – there of course some differences, but a lot of similarities.
One of the things that I noticed when I was competing in track and field for ten years was that steroids and performance enhancing drugs were a huge issue for athletes, coaches, and athletic teams – but another key issue that really is never brought up is the issue of athlete-coach relationships. These individuals (which I have classified as being “honeybuns“) make their way into the spotlight not necessarily for being talented or the best athlete, but for other things. Coaches control “pay” in the form of scholarships, training, and access to play time – and this is similar in the case of employees and their employers.
Recently, it appears that late night talk show hosts David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel have both been exposed in having affairs and relationships with their employees. Letterman went on his show to address this situation and said the following according to a New York Times article:
“I’m terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position.” He labeled his mistake as inadvertent because “I just wasn’t thinking ahead.” He thanked the staff for being supportive and for “putting up with something stupid I’ve gotten myself involved in.”
Kimmel was also linked to one of his employees, and the message that they are trying to convey is that this employee did not get promotions or her position based on her relationship with Mr. Kimmel. Hmm – what do you say judges? Yes, I didn’t think so. Overall, it appears that both hosts are doing major crisis and damage control for their reputations to their viewers and others invovled – but personally, I am not surprised by this since this was a trend that I saw in athletics, especially in track and field. It is one of those issues where athletes knew what was going on, but no one wanted to bring up the issue to address it.
So, after looking at these two recent cases – what kind of message does this say to up and coming professionals? That the only way that you will get ahead in life is to say yes to your employer? It is indeed frustrating – because this is an issue that we have to deal with constantly – we will lose positions and promotions because we say “no” to those that are willing to say “yes.”
There are definitely ways to spot who these individuals are, and be aware if you see them at the workplace, at conferences, or other functions – that you know what strategies that you will need to do handle the situation. In other words, in order to be proactive, you have to work harder, be innovative and strategic – and be aware of what is going on in your surroundings.
Hope you all are having a good day. 🙂
Best Wishes,
Karen
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