In the last two weeks, the Internet has lit up with conversations about two dramatic stories of people quitting their jobs. Why do we care so much about those who have risked their own careers?
To refresh your memory, a site called The Chive posted a series of photos of a young woman explaining her departure via whiteboard messages. The story turned out to be entirely fabricated, but hundreds of thousands of web visitors contemplated her snarky accusations.
Another similar case happened with a JetBlue flight attendant. Repeated mistreatment finally caused him to boil over, and he left an airplane after ranting to a group of surprised passengers.
Both of these scenarios represent tremendous failure. Certainly, each of the employees failed to find a way to negotiate a reasonable response to their grievances. Both employers, perhaps, failed to create an environment in which frustrations can be aired and addressed.
Yet despite these logical explanations, we still find ourselves rooting for the feisty individuals who are sticking it to their respective bosses. Maybe the reason we love the underdog is because we sympathize with failure at work. Probably all of us have been in a situation in which we wish that we could be the ones speaking “truth to power.” There are massive cultural failures in the workplace. That’s the reason we find these stories so compelling: they reveal an awful reality that is all too familiar.
It could be worse. A survey in Russia indicated that 100% of women claim they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. But for our lives at the office to improve, we must be willing to talk about the ways in which they stink.
Failure is the secret to success. Learn more about the path from error to restitution. Buy the book today!