I was thinking about something recently that is kind of important to me, and I wanted to get input about it. To do this, I would like to start with a thought experiment:
Imagine that you work for a certain company that completely goes out of business. It no longer exists. However, another company has just moved into town which is going to allow everyone related to the old company to have a job. You will work with the same people, doing a very similar job, at the same pay (or maybe better). The only differences will be in the following areas:
- the building is different
- the company name is different
- the product/service is different (e.g. old company made snacks, new company makes clothing; old company cared for orphans, new company cares for the homeless)
So here is the question – would you care about the fact that your old company is out of business? Why or why not?
I really look forward to your responses!
Although I would be glad to have a job to replace the one I had, it might still be bittersweet. If my old job was me working for a company that I loved (because I’m so brand loyal) and the atmosphere was great, I would do a little lamenting over the fact that a job I cared for was gone.
What actions would we portray to show our care for the out-of-business company?
Would I weep tears of sorrow? No.
Would I lose sleep at night? No.
Would I want to learn from the company’s history and demise? Yes.
So yes, I would care to the extent that I would want to learn from the old company’s example. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let it affect my life.
When you say everyone moved to the new company, does that include the owners or board of the old company? If not, I would be concerned for the people whose business tanked and are no longer managing their business.
I might lament if my years worked (i.e., experience) did not move over the to the new company (i.e., they started me at the bottom of the pay scale).
Other than the difference in time it would take to get to work, I wouldn’t care one way or another.
I have a question for you. How is this thought experiment based on something that’s important to you?