Put in a difficult situation..advice?

[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?

[transplant99]

Explain precisely why you put of the feelers to begin with.

A face to face, mano a mano, sitdown with the bossman can only help. Dont hold back either, and explain that non-industry types calling shots over those that know their stuff makes it undesirable for many to give their all and go the extra mile. USUALLY management types are intelligent enough to look at what is being said and make a nonbias decision regarding things....usually.

Or egg his house.

[BlackEleven]

It wasn't a stupid thing to do. The other company should have respected your confidentiality; its their fault, not yours.

I've been in a similar situation before. In my experience, I found it gave me the opportunity to dicsuss with the brass of the company what I thought was wrong. If they know and you're crucial to the company they'll be willing to listen. They won't like it, but they will listen.

When it happened to me, they did try to change, but I just found it too little, too late, and ended up leaving anyway. It turned out for the better because I got a really good offer somewhere else.

I wish you luck.

[ernie]

Thanks all. What makes it all a little easy to take is the number of shares I have in the company. If they pull their heads out of the arses I can be on easy street. But they've wedged those heads in tight.

[JiriHrdina]

The only error in judgement I see you making is perhaps sending a resume to a company with close ties to your current employer. That's not to say that they had the right to tell your employer - that's still pretty low...but I probably wouldn't have sent it to them to begin with.

Now that its happened though, I like T99 suggestion. Use it as an opportunity to sit down with your employer and explain your concerns. From someone who's been on the boss's side of the desk, its frustarting when people quit on you without even airing their grievances first. But I also realize its a difficult thing to do.

[NuclearFart]

Like someone else mentioned, this could be a good thing. At least you have leverage now in all future discussions with the boss because you've demonstrated to them that you are willing to take your talents elsewhere if the situation continues to stagnate. Your words now have much more clout. Be civil and completely candid with them. If they will not compromise, then stay the course and move on like your instinct tells you.

As for that company that leaked your resume, they have demonstrated a malicious and disrepectful attitude, so I wouldnt even consider getting a job with them.
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[habernac]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

Like someone else mentioned, this could be a good thing. At least you have leverage now in all future discussions with the boss because you've demonstrated to them that you are willing to take your talents elsewhere if the situation continues to stagnate. Your words now have much more clout. Be civil and completely candid with them. If they will not compromise, then stay the course and move on like your instinct tells you.

As for that company that leaked your resume, they have demonstrated a malicious and disrepectful attitude, so I wouldnt even consider getting a job with them.

Yep, someone in that office sucks. I wouldn't be working for them in the future.

[JiriHrdina]

^^^I've often said that its better to find out a potential employer is a chump BEFORE you get hired by them. If something in the interview/hiring process happens to reveal the fact that this isn't someone that would be good to work for, consider it a good thing. As in this case. Employee confidentiality is crucial and this person doesn't seem to respect that.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Wouldn't the other company have committed a privacy act violation?

That said, this is a very small town and it sounds like you are in a specialized niche. Blaze of Glory exits will haunt you for many years to come - it's a small town.

If the people you work for are rational, then definately the site down and honest frank discussion is the way to go. If they're not rational - well, still try but at the end of the day it sounds like you're critical to their future sucess - they can only be so offside with you.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

you didn't do anything wrong. In fact there were two HUGE ethical errors, one by the company that you dropped your CV off to, and one by your CEO. The potential employer should not have told your company (without your permission, ie: you used them as a reference) that you applied there, and your CEO even with this info should not act upon it and brush it off as them **** disturbing.

What would I do?

I would outline the concerns you outlined in your original post, followed by pointing out the fact that you

a) have every right to look elsewhere, for whatever reasons you have
b) that company has no right to tell you that you dropped off your CV
c) that your company in no way can be upset with you for looking elsewhere, it's your perogative

But as always, do it in the nicest, politest fashion possible. Under no circumstances be hostile, that'll make things worse.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Oh - one last thing - keep documentation as much as possible of the events and times. Will be helpful in a wrongful dismissal case, or other legal action.

[ernie]

I'll be sitting down with the CEO soon to try to smooth things out.

I honestly don't hold out too much hope as we've gone through what I think of things a few times in the recent past. 12 months ago we even laid out predictions to see who was correct. Well basically I have a 100% record in predicting all the things that have happened thanks to the poor decisions made by management. Executive management has pretty much been shut out yet they still fail to listen to those who know the industry. They deny it of course, as they are in complete job saving mode with the board. They have a deadline to commercialize a few products that they have no hope of meeting (because they didn't listen to the expertise of those in the company and outside of it...they wanted yes men and hired the wrong people for that).

The one thing i can be absolutely assured is that if this company passed on the info to our CEO it has also been passed onto the board members. I'm going to take the heat for it because the CEO is going to be taking major heat from the board over it.

I will not go out in a blaze of glory...that's not my style and as mentioned 99 times out of 100 it kills your career (just ask Ted Nolan!). To put it simply and I'm not trying to sound egotistical, without the work I did there is no company. It is the keystone of the organization. My accomplishments speak for themselves and the people in the industry know who I am. It's for that reason I will not go out in a blaze of glory. There is no reason for me to. I have plenty of options that I'm not trying to save myself. And I will always have my options!

And people are correct...glad i found out how this other company treats confidences now rather than later.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

I'd send a version of the CEO's resume to the company that ratted you out.


OR better yet, let us know the name of the company that ratted you out so that we can send them our *ahem* "resumes", or at least those of people who we've made up.