Donte Stallworth stood up and took responsibility for his actions and has taken the consequences with grace. Had he not .jpg)
taken this approach the man could be spending a decade and a half behind bars for his actions that killed a pedestrian.
People make mistakes. They do horrible things that have tough consequences. How they handle themselves following an incident makes a difference in these situations. In the workplace, how you handle yourself after a mistake, wrongdoing, violation or other action with consequences can have an impact on what particular consequences and their severity you will receive.
More often than not, how an employee handles themselves is the major determining factor in what their consequences will be – often it’s not what they do that severs them from their workplace, but how they handle it.
Despite being counseled by their representative and/or told to be straight up by their employer, employees will try to downplay, lay blame on others, and even lie about an incident. Employers are willing to give a second chance for mistakes; however, they are likely to dismiss an employee for lying or not being forthright about the circumstances.
Human Resources and Labor Relations professionals can recount story after story of those who were fired, and those who saved their jobs by acting like Donte.
If you are up for discipline in your workplace – be sincere, be honest, fall on your sword, seek to make reparations, be like Donte…It could save your job!
However, as of today, it remains to be seen if Donte is actually going to save his job. The NFL has suspended him indefinitely…
There is a flip side to this viewpoint…Sean Crowe, the New England Patriots Examiner writes: “Donte Stallworth should never see an NFL field again.”
Where do you stand on this issue – Should Donte keep his job??? Does it make a difference that his actions did not occur on the job?
For more from Crowe:
http://www.examiner.com/x-1324-New-England-Patriots-Examiner~y2009m6d18-Roger-Goodell-should-end-Donte-Stallworths-NFL-career
More about Stallworth:
https://www.examiner.com/r-12188916~Donte__Stallworth_gets_a_month_in_jail_for_DUI_death.html
Comments
How horrible to be judged on for your entire life on the worst thing you ever did. While others "hide from mistakes", Dante stepped up. We may hold atheletes up a role models (ha- steroids, college cheating a la Memphis, 'Bama, FSU), his responsibility is a role model and none of the NFL's concern. At most, it is up to the team that pays his salary.
Stallworth was staring at a long prison sentence. He didn't take responsibility for his actions until the prosecutor took a long jail sentence off the table and offered him the sweetheart deal he got.
There's a difference between taking responsibility, being a stand-up guy, not hiding from your mistakes, etc. and doing whatever you have to do to avoid spending the next few years of your life in prison.
He's the kid who admits he stole the cookie only after his parents say, "Just admit it and you won't be grounded."
Thanks for the link! I'll add one back to you at the end of my article.
-Sean
"If you are up for discipline in your workplace – be sincere, be honest, fall on your sword, seek to make reparations, be like Donte"
Try this:
If you are up for discipline say as little as possible to prevent your employer from mischaracterizing your comments to make you look guilty.
Try to get your employer to do a lot of talking so that you can mis-characterize their comments to make them look guilty.
Ask for documentation of everything. Do not offer documentation of anything.
Call an attorney.
Employees are the most expensive part of any business. Eliminating them is worth a lot of money -- and that can be incentive for very unfair treatment.
Fight back!
Vic Napier
In response to Vic Napier:
Why can't you do both? Exercise your rights, follow the process, but also carry yourself in a manner that demonstates you are worth the investment of the organization?
Killing someone should be something that never leaves you. When the victim is a celebrity, like Nick Adenhart, everyone is ready to string up the unknown drunk driver. When the driver is well known he should be looked at the same way. Doing something that could very well kill someone, but doing it anyway, that's despicable. Blaming the victim because you flashed your lights at him and he didn't get out of your way fast enough, that's despicable. Your career should be affected.
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