Every career has its ups and downs. Some careers go along smoothly, and then because of a changing economy, slipping performance or conflict with a boss or co-worker, things go sour. All of a sudden you go from the person who could do no wrong to the one who can’t seem to do anything right.
Some people become defensive. They blame everything and everyone but themselves. But there is something disarming and admirable about a person who screws things up and admits it. Such a person is Groupon’s ex-CEO, Andrew Mason. He messed up, and he admitted it in a farewell memo that has gone viral. And it’s even more impressive because as the CEO he could have blamed his failures on a poor management team or the decisions of others. No. He pointed the finger only at himself.
This is a switch from the typical scene in so many corporations or businesses, large or small. Something goes wrong and it’s the line workers or the supervisors who take the brunt of the blame. It’s especially difficult for employees when they know it was the decisions of the guys in the corner offices making the big bucks that are to blame. It’s refreshing when one of them finally admits it.
In his farewell memo, according to a Forbes article, “Groupon’s CEO Andrew Mason’s Honest, Charming Goodbye Memo , “I Was Fired Today,” Mason listed a few key failures, most of which were not his personal failings, but for which he took the blame. “As CEO, I’m responsible,” was his confession.
His memo and admission that he was indeed fired is the ultimate act of customer service. In the memo he takes the blame and gives credit for what went right to his internal customers, Groupon’s employees. He admits that he’s getting in the way and it’s time to move out. What a grand gesture, to admit you’re the problem and graciously offer to get out of the way of the team’s success.
So many employees suffer under managers who have long outlived their effectiveness and ability to lead. Poor decisions, communications and an unwillingness to be honest undermine the success of the team, destroy morale and affect everyone’s performance. They need to be honest and get out of the way of those ready and capable of taking over and moving things forward again.
The next part of his farewell memo is a tremendous example of dealing with failure. The openness with which he talks about his shortcomings is refreshing. It’s much more effective than trying to encourage someone else when you yourself are successful. His plan to decompress, examine what’s happened and then chart a new course is a positive example that says it’s OK to fail; get over it. Learn from it and move on.
The last part of his memo was the most moving of his confession. The biggest failure was losing sight of what was best for Groupon’s customers. How many companies have failed by focusing on growth or revenue or sales numbers and forgot about making the customer happy? In the end, that’s the one thing that matters most. By getting out of the way, he was making room to, “…break bad habits and deliver sustainable customer happiness.” Not just customer satisfaction…happiness. Mason’s exit and closing remarks may be the greatest act of internal customer service a fallen CEO could give to those challenged to pick up the pieces and carry on.
Photo Source: freedigitalphotos.net
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