MikeLortz.com/JordiScrubbings.com

If you keep up on your news and current events, you probably heard of at least one major employee snafu last week. As a devourer of news and notes, there were two that particularly caught my attention. Although the cases were similar, I was particularly interested in how the leadership of two completely different organizations reacted.

On June 19, Pittsburgh Pirates employee Andrew Kurtz was fired after his management read disparaging remarks he wrote about the organization on his Facebook page. Even though Kurtz claimed it was “just an opinion”, management made him turn in his field entertainment (aka his Pierogi racing) uniform and seek employment elsewhere.

A few days later, on June 22, Rolling Stone Magazine posted a lengthy article about General Stanley McChrystal, head of operations in Afghanistan. In the article, McChrystal and his staff had some not-so-nice things to say about the President of the United States and his staff. The next day, McChrystal was fired and reports are that members of his staff may also be given their walking papers.

Proves that you shouldn’t talk about the boss in earshot, right?

Not so fast.

The same day McChrystal was fired, Andrew Kurtz was re-hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates and reinstated as a pierogi racer. According to ESPN.com, officials with the Pirates claimed Kurtz “shouldn’t have been terminated in the first place”.

In linking the two incidents, Chicago Tribune reporter Rob Manker asked “Why is the top U.S. general in Afghanistan more replaceable than a running pierogi?”

I think Manker missed the point completely. The point is not that Kurtz was more valuable than McChrystal or that McChrystal was more valuable than Kurtz. The point is that the Pittsburgh Pirates organization set a poor example in allowing a low ranking employee to get away with bad mouthing leadership. Politics aside, President Obama put a line in the sand by cutting ties with McChrystal. Agree or disagree, the President made it clear: disorderly conduct and embarrassing leadership will not be tolerated, especially by those in public positions. That line does not exist for public representatives of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates would have been better off ignoring Kurtz’s comments in the first place and letting him go about his job. Instead, they opened up the door to criticism by any employee, completely undermining the leadership structure.  Now any one employed by the Pirates can say what they want about the Pirates senior leadership and not fear the repercussions. If questioned and threatened with a possible firing, they only have to point to Kurtz and his continued employment.

That’s bad leadership. Not that every employee has to agree, but a successful business can not have crusaders undermining their efforts. Everyone should at least notionally be on the same page.

No wonder the Pirates haven’t had a winning season since 1992.

By the way, pierogis are freakin’ awesome. Especially the cheese and potato kinds. Just writing this post made me hungry.