Never cheat your master.

Thursday's are Viking quote days although I'm doing every second Thursday now and interspersing my, think like a leader, series on the alternate day. Sometimes I choose a quote randomly and sometimes based upon relevance or meaning to my life, and share some thoughts on it. These thousand year old phrases still offer value in modern society. _{original im src}

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This week's Viking quote

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Never cheat your master.

_{- Njal's Saga -}

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I had an interesting situation occur over the last couple of days; I was contacted by the National Operations Manager of a competitors company, a rival of my own, who wanted to meet me.

I'd expected it, but when it happened I felt a little guilty. It's not that I'd done anything wrong, just that I my current company have been good to me, set me up and treated me well, pay me well, and have generally given me a good opportunity and supported me through it. Sure, there's a couple of things that have annoyed me like the I.T. issue I had and outlined in my post from yesterday, but generally they have been rather good to me.

When this other chap contacted me my first thought was, he wanted to meet the fellow who is taking a lot of lucrative accounts away from the company he works for.

I didn't come down in the last shower of rain and was under no misconceptions about his motives. I've brought so many accounts on board for my company and many, the bigger ones, were formerly with the company he works for and so I understand his curiosity and the need to find out what's going on. In turn, I was curious to see if I could gain some information from him and so I agreed to meet.

I told my State Manager about this situation as I didn't want someone to see me by chance and report back. I have no intention to jump ship, to be poached by a rival company, so felt honesty was the best policy. The meeting was this morning and it went partially as expected and partially not.

The chap tried to pump me for information about my company and what I'm doing to get the accounts; it was subtle of course, but it was also obvious to me.

I was careful with information, gave away nothing, but then he started talking about a role in his company. He didn't outright offer me a role, he was probing, but mentioned a national management role driving sales across large corporate clients, big national and multi-national companies. It would be based in my own State but would involve flying into and out of the other Capital cities; it came with a rather big income. He gave me the whole pitch and stopped short of saying, are you interested. I didn't give him much feedback, just a few questions to keep him talking so I wouldn't have to.

The meeting ended and we went our separate ways after he told me he would be in touch and I drove away reflecting about the whole thing. Later in the day I debriefed my State Manager, the person I report to, and we discussed it.

I'm not interested in the role and neither would I go and work for that company in any role at this stage - I'm happy doing what I'm doing, where I'm doing it and with my pay conditions. I think he was happy to hear that as he doesn't want to lose me. The great thing is that I found out a little more about our biggest competitor and came to know that they're scared...of me. I like that. I don't mean me per se though, I mean what I'm doing out there in business and in what is a very competitive and rather cost-focused results-focused industry.

Hurting the competition by winning accounts is a good thing, it's business. Each time they lose one to me they become weaker. That forces them into a corner and they start doing desperate things, moving away from the plan and into damage-control mode...and that doesn't often work out well for companies. This situation gives me great power, and I have been using it. This meeting, the fact he wanted to meet, means I'm being effective and that's what the company I work for pays me for.

My company aren't my master, but this quote is very relevant today.

I hold honour and integrity as high priorities in my life, and look for it in those around me - without it I am nothing - and I'm not one to compromise on that. This ethos permeates all aspects of life including my professional life.

No, I won't stay in a bad situation just to show loyalty to a company or person, but to those who are good to me, those who deserve loyalty, get it. This is how I feel with the company I work for currently. Could I earn a little more money in this other role, flying about the country? Sure I could. Will I, if it's offered? Nope. My current company has been good to me and I believe deserve some loyalty because of it. I'm doing well there, am happy with my situation, earnings and potential future earnings and feel they value what I do and that I choose to do it there.

Will I ever leave? Sure it's inevitable. Will I ask for more money? Of course I will...and situations like this with the other company sniffing around trying to poach me will make it very difficult for my current company to say no; that and the results I gain...It's a good position to be in and considering what my company has done and is doing for me I believe being good to them in return is the right thing to do.

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That's it for this week, a thousand year-old Viking quote about showing respect to those who have shown it to us, being loyal to those who have treated us well and taking care of those who have taken care of us. This quote and ethos works equally well in business as it does in personal relationships and I believe a little respect, integrity and loyalty to those who deserve it, and reciprocal good treatment will carry a person far, and be repaid in kind.

Please feel free to disagree with my interpretation and add your own in the comments below if you'd like, or simply comment if you have anything to say. If you have job offers...well, I'll listen to them too. 😉

Skol.

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