Business Lies And Half Truths
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Apr 8, 2014
Last week the CEO of Mozilla, an open source software company that produces the Firefox browser along with many other products, resigned under pressure because of what's now an unpopular stance he took back in 2008 in California when he supported Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that initially banned gay marriage in the state. He gave money to the cause, probably didn't think anything about it, and it came back to bite him hard, as he was only CEO for 11 days.
This post isn't to debate the merits of free speech versus consequences, although I did cover this topic on my I'm Just Sharing blog. Instead, it's to talk about what employees "owe" employers, or whether they're owed anything at all.
I'm going a much different route to get to my point. I'm going to use the examples of George O'Leary and Steve Masiello. Respectively these are the football coach of Central Florida and the basketball coach at Manhattan University. Both are top quality guys who know their sports really well. O'Leary was actually the head football coach at my high school for 3 years after I graduated and did a great job here.
The thing that both of these guys did was lie on their resumes, and it came back to bite both of them when they had shots at top flight college jobs. When the money is going to be a major deal you're looked at with a lot more scrutiny, and no matter what your qualifications are, if they find a discrepancy that can only be explained by "you lied", you're not getting that job.
Many people are lucky to get jobs they're either not qualified for or are qualified for but don't have the credentials to back up. I know quite a few people who, over the years, have asked me to back them up when they put certain things on their resumes that aren't quite truthful. I also know some who didn't tell me they'd put something on their resume, only to have me inadvertently give them away because of their attempt at deception.
I understand why some folks will add something to the mix in order to get a job. When I first started my business I had the qualifications and the experience, but all of it was working for someone else, not on my own. I was lucky to still get work because I owned up to my background up front, and I worked hard to get small contracts so I could tell potential clients that I had some experience as an independent. I did have to take some gigs that didn't pay as well as they do now for that experience, but I got what I needed.
What do you owe to any company you want to work with, or for? You owe them full disclosure of what you can do and anything else they may ask you about what your business qualifications are. There are legal protections for some things, but there are also liability issues that can come up if you're not truthful. I think you life with your truths and deal with whatever comes up later on because of them.
if that means you need to think about your life and things you've done or shouldn't do... well, that's what growing up and being an adult is all about. 🙂
It is true that even if you don’t post something online, something that you have said and done in the past may be reported online and then – it’s forever.
However, we cannot see many situations where people do not shop at a company, because of it’s CEO’s beliefs.
You are always your own person. if you believe it, make sure you can defend it.
You’re right in saying we don’t see a lot of those situations Oliver, but they obviously exist; just ask Paula Deen & the guy who heads Chik Fil-A, where I’ve refused to go.
In the Army I saw an Officer get dismissed (kicked out) for “Conduct unbecoming”.
Ann Hathaway lied to director Ang Lee to get the role on Brokeback Mountain. Her chacter needed to ride a hourse and she could not but told Lee she could. She got hired and on set fell off the horse, Her lie was exposed. She went on to win an Oscar in 2013.
So many people lie on their resume these days. I do not. In fact on my cover letter it states “I will not waste your time with made up credentials and experience … like other candidates will. My six years in the U.S. Army (Aviation Branch) taught me integrity and honor if nothing else.”
Sad days when you gotta tell someone you are NOT lying to them since they assume everyone already is.
Troy, since most of my professional life has been built on breaking down assumptions, I don’t go out of my way trying to convince people of my honesty. If I share something and someone doesn’t buy it, so be it; that’s on them. But you’re right, it’s terrible that the worst is thought about people most of the time; so much for innocent before proven guilty, right? 🙂
True. “If I share something and someone doesn’t buy it, so be it; that’s on them.” this is fine and an ok way to go. On the other hand when you are trying to get the job over a zillion other candidates… The market is tough out there. I saw a job listing the other day for ‘Bus Person’. The company was desiring a college graduate.
Yikes Mitch!
Yeah, sometimes there are unrealistic things to shoot through Troy. I’ve never had to compete for anything with so many other people involved thank goodness.
I’ve seen so many fake resumes in my life, that it is very difficult for person in Western world to imagine. At some point, I was thinking that a company was producing this fake resumes. At some point in time, I’ve stopped looking at the resumes at all. Though this lead to spending more time on interviews.
HR companies are also a big problem nowadays, often their team doesn’t have the expertise to find who is qualified and who is not. Actually qualification in terms of university degree often doesn’t mean much unless it is related to health or rocket science.
Carl, unfortunately there’s so many people who put in for different types of jobs that we have to look at resumes to at least try to figure out who we think might have enough qualifications for an interview. We then need to hone our judgment, then trust our HR departments to check people out. It’s not even close to perfect but sometimes it’s the best we’ve got.
I’ve been around loud guys as well as the quiet type.The best leaders I’d be willing to go the extra mile for were mild mannered and self assured. They spoke softly and I’d lean in on every word.
Hey Steve, you might have put this comment on the wrong post. lol Did you maybe mean to put it on this one? http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog/big-loud-guy/