Alaska News

Boss, employee both fumble an easy pass

When Webb Chevrolet general manager Jerry Roberts asked salesman John Stone to take off his Green Bay Packers tie, Stone initially thought Roberts was joking.

In the next hour last month, Roberts asked Stone three more times to take off his tie. Three more times Stone said no.

Roberts finally told Stone, who is a good salesman -- he'd sold 14 cars the previous month for the suburban Chicago car dealership -- to take his tie off or get fired. Stone, either believing Roberts didn't mean it or not caring, chose to get fired.

What led Stone to value his tie more than his job? What led Roberts to fire an otherwise effective salesman?

The story went viral among Midwestern sports fans after Green Bay beat the Chicago Bears for the NFL conference championship. Those who dug into this story learned the following.

Stone said he wore the tie to honor his recently deceased grandmother, a die-hard Packers fan, whom the family buried two days before the big football game. After the firing, Roberts learned this heart-warming story when Stone's dismissal became front page news in several newspapers, appeared on television news shows and was transmitted nationwide by The Associated Press.

Roberts explained that his Chicago-area dealership spent $20,000 monthly advertising with the Bears and even gave the Bears' players free loaner vehicles. He said that Stone wearing a Packers tie undercut the dealership's ad campaign and might turn off potential car buyers who supported the Bears. Roberts couldn't believe Stone refused to take off his tie.

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Because Roberts made a repeated and clear direct request to Stone, when Stone ignored it, and Roberts fired him, Roberts did so legally. Under employment at will, employers can fire employees for any reason that doesn't violate discrimination laws or the laws governing employee rights, such as the right to protest unsafe work conditions. Courts, juries and other neutral third parties almost invariably side with employers who fire employees who act insubordinately by ignoring manager directives.

Although Roberts would legally prevail should Stone protest the firing, did he do the right thing? Rival dealership Chevrolet of Homewood quickly snapped up Stone. When Roberts learned Stone's reason for wearing the tie, he offered Stone his job back.

Too late -- Stone didn't want to return. Meanwhile, the rival dealership hopes to reap the benefits of the media attention and reports that dozens of Packers fans have promised to buy vehicles from Stone and the dealership.

Although Stone immediately landed a new job, he lost as well. By his own account, he didn't learn why his manager wanted him to remove his tie. Had he asked, he might have realized his tie flew in the face of his employer's $20,000 a month ad campaign and he might have chosen to honor his grandmother in another way.

The moral of this story: When employers and supervisors lock horns in a control battle, both lose. If you ask an employee to do something and he says "no," ask "How come?" and listen. Then explain why you're making your request, even if you think you shouldn't need to.

If your manager makes a request that seems unreasonable, don't just say no. Ask for his or her reasons. Generally, those who make requests have reasons that make sense -- at least to them.

Roberts issued an ultimatum. Stone gave a blanket refusal. They fought a control battle that became public. Both Stone and Roberts felt they were in the right ... and both were wrong.

Lynne Curry is a local management trainer, consultant and syndicated columnist. Her advice and opinion column appears Mondays. Questions for her column may be faxed to her at 258-2157 or mailed to her c/o Anchorage Daily News, P.O. Box 149001, Anchorage 99514-9001. Her e-mail is lynne@thegrowthcompany.com.

LYNNE CURRY

MANAGEMENT

Lynne Curry | Alaska Workplace

Lynne Curry writes a weekly column on workplace issues. She is author of “Navigating Conflict,” “Managing for Accountability,” “Beating the Workplace Bully" and “Solutions,” and workplacecoachblog.com. Submit questions at workplacecoachblog.com/ask-a-coach/ or follow her on workplacecoachblog.com, lynnecurryauthor.com or @lynnecurry10 on X/Twitter.

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