Don't Make Conan's Mistake

Five years ago, Conan O'Brien chose to stick with NBC because they promised him The Tonight Show. Now he's bitterly disappointed about the recent turn of events. We sympathize — but none of us should be so naïve.

It is certainly painful to witness an employer's callous treatment of a man who patiently served season after season until it was his moment to shine. But as we all shake our heads in righteous indignation at NBCs treatment of Conan O'Brien, we should take a moment to think about Hideki Matsui. Because, while Matsui's departure didn't generate a public outcry, the bottom line is that that the situations are really quite similar. Hideki Matsui was the New York Yankee's 2009 World Series MVP. After a postseason that any major leaguer would die for, the Yankees chose not to renew his contract. Where was the love for Hideki? Where is the love now for Conan? There wasn't any, nor should that surprise us. Both were business decisions based on the facts at the time. Despite the obsessive water cooler discussions about the Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien saga or our individual opinions on who's better suited for the job, the harsh truth is that it's not personal — it's just business.


So what's in your best interest? How can you avoid making Conan's mistake?

• No organization can make reasonable promises of future placement — you're setting yourself up for disappointment trusting an organization to honor that agreement. 
• Don't make assumptions about what you bring to the table.

The take away is in today's business environment results that are tangible, viable and meet objectives are real and never assumed...Cover your Assets!

Saludos:

Jerry/CMT