Non Negotiable Offer: The Aftermath

This cricketing controversy brings to the fore the theme: contracted or connected very well. The trouble with Darrell Hair was that he thought like a lawyer (now a cliché I fear but still apt) and not an umpire serving the greater interests of cricket. While Darrell Hair was no doubt a “high performer”, he failed to keep himself away from controversies, be it the chucking controversy with Muralitharan or the ball tampering controversy. Perhaps he failed to realise that these controversies are not isolated incidents but was damaging his credibility as an ICC umpire as well. He can be forgiven for been straightforward, he can be forgiven for speaking his mind, but can he be forgiven for the non negotiable offer which offended the sanctity of the ever decreasing halo of umpiring profession which many felt brought the game to disrepute. Of course he took back his mail saying it was under immense pressure but the damage had been done. Cricket didn’t change after this incident but the incident showed it is not “just a game” after all. The whole incident spilled over as a high performing but replaceable employee demanding his legitimate (?) chunk of pie from the organisation. Now what did the organisation do? First it ensured that the request for secrecy be an open secret. Now what it did was it brought the issue from a “legal platform” to a “moral platform” open to subjective criticisms and judgements from those who don’t just see the job as a “job to be done” but as a “virtuous duty” and there is no dearth of these people , least in sports. This dramatically weakens the demand calculated in numbers to a non numeric entity- Greed, Avarice. The non negotiable offer now looks like an offer which holds no ground and Hair was quick to realise this. The legal mode was abandoned. Now what lessons are there for us here? If I was in his position (position means a performer in an organisation thinking of a non negotiable offer....I am least interested in umpiring-not because it is a thankless job but because you have just one mate with whom you can hang out with i.e. the second umpire for the whole day), I would first judge the environment well and of course do some homework. Is it the opportune time to ask for such an offer? Am I in a position to do so? What will the possible reaction of the organisation? Will the organisation put on its legal spectacle or will it see it as a part of the relationship? Will it change the equation forever? How will my colleagues react? Do I need to take their feedback? At least I am sure it will not be an easy job managing the aftermath of the offer.