When I was a young man, I had a job that I enjoyed working with people that I liked.
There is an old saying that states that ignorance is bliss.
I was happy but only because I was ignorant of changes that would soon turn that part of my world upside down in the span of one day.
One Friday morning, I was approached by two managers.
They informed me that the company had promised a shipment to a customer that day.
They added that when the product reached my department for inspection we were to do whatever was necessary in order to make sure that product shipped that day.
While this might prove difficult I could not assure them of the likelihood of success until I had more information.
I needed to know how much product there was, when I could expect it and who the customer was.
There were over one hundred units and I could expect them by the middle of the afternoon.
This was going to be challenging.
Then they told me who the customer was and that made a challenging task impossible.
This customer was associated with a governmental agency and both demanded that every dimension on every part be measured for compliance and safety.
Even if I put every inspector on this task, there was simply no way we could both measure and record everything and certify that the inspection had been performed to their specifications.
It was obvious that they were not happy with my stance and they strongly suggested that I think it over before the parts made their way to me.
They walked away.
The moment they departed, the people in my department asked what was going on, so I filled them in.
They asked the question I anticipated, "What are we going to do?"
I told them that we were simply going to do our jobs to the best of our ability.
We were going to comply with the customer’s and agency’s demands unless they provided us with a waiver.
That afternoon the parts made it to our area and the two managers accompanied them.
I asked them if it were possible to request the waivers we needed.
They informed me that waivers would not be requested.
I told them that this was regrettable.
I turned to the staff and reminded them that we knew what the requirements were.
I divided the parts equally between us and we began working.
We were going to give it our best effort but ultimately we knew that we would not be able to keep this deadline.
The two managers watched us work for a few minutes and left so that they could talk in private.
About an hour later, I was summoned to one of their offices.
He reminded me that he had personally promised this shipment.
I then reminded him that he knew their requirements and therefore should either have not made the promise or requested waivers.
He told me that he expected me to look the other way.
He added that the next time, my job might depend on it.
What he was in essence telling me was that I would have to be willing to be dishonest.
This would mean being dishonest with myself as well as with a customer.
I informed him that I was not willing to compromise my integrity.
2 Chronicles 19:9 (NET) - He commanded them: "Carry out your duties with respect for the LORD, with honesty, and with pure motives."
I knew that my future with that company could never again be what I had hoped it could be and immediately began looking for a new job.
With God's help, I found one.
For what it’s worth, I have been at my current firm in excess of twenty years and that would not have happened had I compromised what I knew to be correct.
As I prepared to leave that company, I sensed that the people in my department were genuinely sad to see me leave.
I wished them all well and I still think of them often.
I suspect at least some of them were eventually asked to compromise what they knew to be right.
Although difficult, I hope they made they made the right choice.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
There is an old saying that states that ignorance is bliss.
I was happy but only because I was ignorant of changes that would soon turn that part of my world upside down in the span of one day.
One Friday morning, I was approached by two managers.
They informed me that the company had promised a shipment to a customer that day.
They added that when the product reached my department for inspection we were to do whatever was necessary in order to make sure that product shipped that day.
While this might prove difficult I could not assure them of the likelihood of success until I had more information.
I needed to know how much product there was, when I could expect it and who the customer was.
There were over one hundred units and I could expect them by the middle of the afternoon.
This was going to be challenging.
Then they told me who the customer was and that made a challenging task impossible.
This customer was associated with a governmental agency and both demanded that every dimension on every part be measured for compliance and safety.
Even if I put every inspector on this task, there was simply no way we could both measure and record everything and certify that the inspection had been performed to their specifications.
It was obvious that they were not happy with my stance and they strongly suggested that I think it over before the parts made their way to me.
They walked away.
The moment they departed, the people in my department asked what was going on, so I filled them in.
They asked the question I anticipated, "What are we going to do?"
I told them that we were simply going to do our jobs to the best of our ability.
We were going to comply with the customer’s and agency’s demands unless they provided us with a waiver.
That afternoon the parts made it to our area and the two managers accompanied them.
I asked them if it were possible to request the waivers we needed.
They informed me that waivers would not be requested.
I told them that this was regrettable.
I turned to the staff and reminded them that we knew what the requirements were.
I divided the parts equally between us and we began working.
We were going to give it our best effort but ultimately we knew that we would not be able to keep this deadline.
The two managers watched us work for a few minutes and left so that they could talk in private.
About an hour later, I was summoned to one of their offices.
He reminded me that he had personally promised this shipment.
I then reminded him that he knew their requirements and therefore should either have not made the promise or requested waivers.
He told me that he expected me to look the other way.
He added that the next time, my job might depend on it.
What he was in essence telling me was that I would have to be willing to be dishonest.
This would mean being dishonest with myself as well as with a customer.
I informed him that I was not willing to compromise my integrity.
2 Chronicles 19:9 (NET) - He commanded them: "Carry out your duties with respect for the LORD, with honesty, and with pure motives."
I knew that my future with that company could never again be what I had hoped it could be and immediately began looking for a new job.
With God's help, I found one.
For what it’s worth, I have been at my current firm in excess of twenty years and that would not have happened had I compromised what I knew to be correct.
As I prepared to leave that company, I sensed that the people in my department were genuinely sad to see me leave.
I wished them all well and I still think of them often.
I suspect at least some of them were eventually asked to compromise what they knew to be right.
Although difficult, I hope they made they made the right choice.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
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