Changing Jobs and Changing Loyalties
Changing Jobs and Changing Loyalties
Cynthia Martinez was thrilled when she first received the job offer from David Newhoff at Crytex System. She had long admired Crytex, both as an industry leader and as an ideal employer, and the position the company was offering her was perfect. “ It’s just what I’ve always wanted,” she told her husband, Tom, as they uncorked a bottle of champagne. But as she and Tom talked, he raised a few questions that began to trouble her.
“What about the big project you’re working on at Altrue right now? It’ll take three months to see that through,” Tom reminded her. “The company has a lot riding on it, and you’ve always said that you’re the driving force behind the project. If you bolt, Altrue is going to be in a real jam.”
Cynthia explained that she had mentioned the project to David Newhoff. “He said he could understand that I’d like to see it through, but Crytex needs someone right now. He gave me a couple of days to think it over, but it’s my big chance.”
Tom looked at her thoughtfully and responded, “ But Newhoff doesn’t quite get it. It’s not just that you’d like to see it through. It’s that you’d be letting your whole project team down. They probably couldn’t do it without you, at least not the way it needs to be done. Besides, Cynthia, remember what you said about that guy who quit the Altrue branch in Baltimore.”
“That was different,” Cynthia responded. “He took an existing account with him when he went to another firm. It was like ripping Altrue off. I’m not going to rip them off, but I don’t figure I owe them anything extra. It’s just business. You know perfectly well that if Altrue could save some money by laying me off, the company wouldn’t hesitate.”
“I think you’re rationalizing,” Tom said. “ You’ve done well at Altrue, and the company has always treated you fairly. Anyway, the issue is what’s right for you to do, not what the company would or wouldn’t do. Crytex is Altrue’s big competitor. It’s like you’re
Cynthia Martinez was thrilled when she first received the job offer from David Newhoff at Crytex System. She had long admired Crytex, both as an industry leader and as an ideal employer, and the position the company was offering her was perfect. “ It’s just what I’ve always wanted,” she told her husband, Tom, as they uncorked a bottle of champagne. But as she and Tom talked, he raised a few questions that began to trouble her.
“What about the big project you’re working on at Altrue right now? It’ll take three months to see that through,” Tom reminded her. “The company has a lot riding on it, and you’ve always said that you’re the driving force behind the project. If you bolt, Altrue is going to be in a real jam.”
Cynthia explained that she had mentioned the project to David Newhoff. “He said he could understand that I’d like to see it through, but Crytex needs someone right now. He gave me a couple of days to think it over, but it’s my big chance.”
Tom looked at her thoughtfully and responded, “ But Newhoff doesn’t quite get it. It’s not just that you’d like to see it through. It’s that you’d be letting your whole project team down. They probably couldn’t do it without you, at least not the way it needs to be done. Besides, Cynthia, remember what you said about that guy who quit the Altrue branch in Baltimore.”
“That was different,” Cynthia responded. “He took an existing account with him when he went to another firm. It was like ripping Altrue off. I’m not going to rip them off, but I don’t figure I owe them anything extra. It’s just business. You know perfectly well that if Altrue could save some money by laying me off, the company wouldn’t hesitate.”
“I think you’re rationalizing,” Tom said. “ You’ve done well at Altrue, and the company has always treated you fairly. Anyway, the issue is what’s right for you to do, not what the company would or wouldn’t do. Crytex is Altrue’s big competitor. It’s like you’re