[ernie]

O.K. need some advice.

I'm working in a job that I enjoy very much in a R&D managerial position. Thing is, the current executive management doesn't really understand how the industry works and they refuse to listen to anyone that does know the business. That includes myself, various outsiders, consultants etc. While I enjoy the work I have become disenchanted the past 18 months with the direction of the company (straight down as far as I can tell). So I sent out some CV's a few weeks ago to a few other companies. One company happens to be a potential competitor that has an on again off again investment relationship with my current company.

I get a call from my CEO today and my CEO is all ****ed off because someone has let my CEO know that my resume was on that someones desk. ****ed off at me that I am looking for another job. Which of course ****ed me off because as far as I'm concerned I have every right to now and then see what is "out there".

With a little digging it was the company above who leaked this information. By not keeping things confidential as they should be doing, they've put in the middle of a **** storm as Mr. Lahey would call it. Not exactly sure how to get out of this. I don't think it will cause me to lose my job as I'm absolutely essential to the company being the inventor of an important process and being the only one who knows how to run that process. However, let's just say it may be rather less enjoyable to show up to work now.

I'm of course kicking myself for applying with those guys...in retrospect it was a stupid thing to do and was done after a very very frustrating few weeks. Any ideas on how to mend some bridges?