Monday, May 12, 2008

Trapped!!!

The second week on the job provided even more surprises. First, Ravi came in my
office and explained that Gamma Supplies was involved in a lawsuit with Better Supplies and told me to study a six inch thick patent file that had been prepared by a Chicago law firm. Now the significance of why Jordan had refused to talk abut Better Supplies during our tour of the
McCormick exhibition hall was obvious; he didn't want me probing or digging into their
relationship with them. Second, Ravi explained that he was going into the hospital the
following week for open heart surgery, and he would be out of work for at least six weeks.
The latter revelation was the first major news I was told that didn't come as a shock to me. Finally, Ravi suggested that I get busy in the laboratory and do some hands-on work.
The first revelation almost floored me and it caused me great concern. No mention had
been made of a lawsuit with a giant corporation like Better Supplies. I could see were a
lawsuit could have major ramifications on a small company like Gamma Supplies. And Ravi's
medical problem, which had been casually mentioned during an interview conversation,
was obviously serious, but not necessarily life threatening. More importantly, his surgery
had to have been expected and well planned in advance of my arrival.

His third revelation, that I was expected to work in the laboratory bothered me the most.
I had been hired as a manager, and while managers in small companies frequently do hands
on work, I had not been introduced to anyone as a manager and I still hadn't been
introduced to any of the other laboratory personnel. I was really having second thoughts
about the job, but I didn't want to leave a job in the second week. From a practical point of
view, it would have been difficult to do. My personal possessions were in Chicago and
the shipping and storage charges were being paid by Gamma Supplies. I was living in
accommodations paid for by Gamma Supplies, and I had just spent six months looking for a
position and had notified all other potential employers that I had accepted another position.

Rejection of a job offer is taken very personally by companies, and my chances of
reestablishing relations with one of the previously interested companies was nil. And
although I didn't know it at the time, probably any attempt by me to extricated myself from
my situation would have been futile!

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