Wow! I would have never guessed that my blog entry on Freedom would have hit so many nerves. Since there are many comments, I will clarify a few things.
I did not mention a specific company at all, and I still will keep that anonymous. I don’t think that naming names will do any good. Neither will revealing the new policy. The bottom line is that these references are vague is because they can (and sometimes do) apply to many other companies. If you think this applies to the company that you work for, then perhaps you should forward this entry on to your senior management. Hopefully this will open some eyes. (And don’t just take my word for it. Have them read Good to Great by Jim Collins.)
For those that know where I have been consulting for a while now, you know that on Friday July 9th 2004, the company informed my employer that my services were no longer needed. I was scheduled to leave the company at the end of August, but management decided that they no longer wanted me around. The reason I was told was due to changes with the project that I was working on. I was able to check in my latest changes, pack my personal belongings and leave.
Many rumors have been flying about what was the real reason for the abrupt termination of my services. Speculation has it that it was due to either the Freedom blog entry, or the comments others left on my website. Regardless, I hold no hard feelings against the company, as it was their right to terminate my services whenever they felt like it and for whatever reason.
If the speculation is accurate, I wish the company would have had the guts to tell me the real reason for terminating my services. Furthermore, the person who ultimately made this decision should have been the one to tell me and my employer.
As a side note, the timing could not have been better for my employer. Within an hour of leaving the company, I had a new assignment already lined up.
