Employee & Fan Loyalty
Not too long ago people would work at a company for 30 years and then retire with a gold watch. However, in recent times people typically work at a company for just a hand full of years before embarking on other endeavors. In a sense regular working people have become free agents in the workforce. People are no longer “IBMers” for life; there is a decline in loyalty over the past 50 years, whether it be in our personal or professional lives.
Similarly, people used to be loyal Yankee fans or loyal Red Socks fans. However, die hard fans are now Jeter fans or Beckett fans. Brett Favre is the perfect example of both points. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 and played for one season, his “opportunity” year out of college if you will, similar to accepting your first job offer. From 1992 to 2007 Favre played for the Green Bay Packers, a long career in the NFL. Then, staying with the recent times of company hopping, he played in New York for one season and now in Minnesota for his first season. My heart goes out to his bewildered fans who started out as Green Bay fans and then became Favre fans. Favre’s trade to New York was fine; one could still be a Favre fan and a Green Bay fan. But, now can that same fan still be a loyal Favre fan in a purple Minnesota jersey and a loyal Green Bay fan?