Last week, the Los Angeles Rams traded Jared Goff, along with two first-round picks and a third-round pick, to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford.
In an interview with the LA Times, Goff explained how he wasn't sure when the Rams decided he wasn't good enough.
That’s the tough part right now is trying to figure that out, when did that happen. Those are all conversations that I may or may not have, and try to figure it out. That’s the conversation to have.
Ouch. Though his performance had been declining, he had just gutted out a playoff win against Seattle only a couple weeks after undergoing surgery on his throwing hand – and they still traded him.
Goff's experience with the Rams makes me appreciate working in an industry (#Tech) where HR is strong and pushes companies to be transparent and thoughtful. Sometimes I cringe at the repetitive corpspeak about 'feedback', 'alignment', or 'setting expectations', but it builds a culture that supports anyone who needs it.
I can only guess why communication on the Rams was so poor. Maybe wins, losses and stats are enough? The Rams made the playoffs this year, but that was on the back of their defense. Goff threw a pitiable 20 touchdowns and 13 picks. He's the starting quarterback for the football team in the second biggest market in America, and has a contract worth over $100,000,000. Management assumed the stakes of being professional athlete are clear. And yes, to anyone that has even casually followed sports, the stakes are clear, but does that mean they can leave their 26 year old employee in the dark?
A lot of (#Tech) companies refer to themselves as sports teams. Be thankful they aren't, or you might wake up one morning and find out that you and two interns were just traded to Quibi.