This is a thought that occurred to me.  What would happen if everyone else had a prolonged summer break like Footballers?  During this time everyone, whether under contract or not, could be tempted by new jobs elsewhere - competitors, previously unheard of organisations, jobs abroad…

Imagine if you went into work tomorrow and your boss said: “We’ve had an offer for you from Company Y and in exchange for you they’re going to give us £2 million, plus one of their warehouse staff.  You leave this afternoon, clear out your desk.”  How would you feel?

Or if you were perfectly happy in your job, but after a holiday in spain and six weeks away from your co-workers a local paper asked if you would consider moving to Spain if the right job came up… “Sure, I suppose if it was the right job I might consider it.  But I am happy at my current place.”  Imagine how this would be played out among your friends, family and co-workers…

How about if you were unhappy in your current job, but had signed a contract in order to provide stability for your family, then one summer your dream job comes up - it would work for both you and your family.  You ask your boss if he would consider letting you move on.  Your customers, who you’re very popular with, begin booing you when turn up for work.  Your colleagues publicly beg you to stay.  Your internal newsletter writes horrible things about you.  All this because your dream job came up.

Imagine if every summer was open season for you and your career.  You didn’t know if you’d be staying in your current role, if you might be head hunted, or if you might be forced to take a job with a smaller organisation and accept a pay cut.  What would that do to your psyche? How would you prepare yourself?  How would it affect your performance during the year? How do you put down roots with your family? Imagine the pressure from your family, in order that you don’t need to move again, that your children don’t need to make friends again.  

The normal response is that ‘Footballers get paid enough, they have enough money, it doesn’t matter.’  Maybe it makes the logistics of moving easier, but at the end of the day, how would you feel?

Food for thought during this transfer window.