Four things we can take away from Manning's situation:

Part One from Friday:

1.  Understand that everyone is replaceable.  If someone with Peyton Manning's impact, leadership, and work ethic can be let go, anyone is replaceable.

2.  Be Prepared.  Each of us needs to be constantly upgrading our skills and learning new ones. Our LinkedIn contact list needs to be full and expanded weekly. Our resumes must be up-to-date. Don't be caught by surprise.   

Part Two:   

3) Realize you and your company are two different entities. Manning was so identifiable with the Colts that, on the Colts Facebook page, he was the profile picture. In his mind--unsurprisingly given his performance--he likely believed he'd be the Colts quarterback until the day he retired. Although he said, "We all know that nothing lasts forever. Times change, circumstances change, and that's the reality of playing in the NFL," that was his logical side speaking. Emotionally, it seemed clear that this move by the Colts hurt deeply.  

This same thing can be true for us. When we work for a company for a long time, we can begin to do the same thing, assuming our identity is inseparable from working for that firm. But given how quickly one can move from being the company's MVP to Mr./Ms. Disposable, making who you work for part of your identity is dangerous. It's much better to keep a healthy separation in your mind between who you are and who you work for.

4) Stay classy. While it would be hard to blame Manning if he were bitter, his statement about his release was the epitome of grace. "This town and this team mean so much to me. It truly has been an honor to play in Indianapolis. I do love it here. I love the fans. I'll always enjoy having played for such a great team. I will leave the Colts with nothing but good thoughts and gratitude to Jim, the organization, my teammates, the media, and especially the fans."

If the ax should fall on us, we should also follow Peyton Manning's example and stay classy. How we act in difficult times shows our true measure. Acting gracefully puts us on a higher plane and helps us move away from an unfortunate event to a brighter future.  

In summary, should you find yourself on unstable ground at work, make sure to keep in mind these four takeaways. None of us may be Peyton Manning but we can all learn from how he has handled himself during what must be an extremely tough transition.

Source:  Written by Mark McNeilly for  FastCompany 2012     

Testimonial 

On behalf of the American Lung Association of the Southwest, I would like to thank you for the outstanding job The Batten Group did with our two recent searches for Executive Directors. I could not be more pleased with the final candidates selected for our two job openings.

The search process that you employ seems to be very thorough, and efficient. You knew exactly the type of person we were looking for with both positions and brought us solid candidates to consider. I always appreciated how you kept me posted during the search process, and thoroughly vetted each candidate before the first interview.

I also appreciated how quickly you moved the selection process. I believe you easily trimmed off 2-4 weeks that it would normally take me to fill one of these senior-level positions. The documentation you provided for each candidate was also very valuable.  The profile document, as well as the references report, was very thorough.  

Jim, thank you once again for the work you did for the association. While I hope it will be a while before I have to fill one of these positions again, rest assured I will call The Batten Group.

Sincerely,

Bill J. Pfeifer

President and CEO