Case Studies
THE CASE OF THE BUTTERED-UP BOSS
Lion’s Den Situation:
I’m an advertising copywriter and believe me, my job gives new meaning to the term "cut-throat." In a few weeks we have to make a major presentation to an important new client, and the creative director has everyone in our department competing with each other to see who’ll come up with the best campaign.
Now, I don’t mind a little healthy competition and I enjoy winning a fair fight—but right now things aren’t very fair. The other creatives are pulling out all the stops—taking the creative director out for cocktails to lobby for their ideas and to shoot mine down. One of them even took the boss fishing. And believe it or not, he really seems to thrive on the attention.
As a Christian I’ve never been comfortable with playing social games—and if I start now everyone will know I’m being hypocritical. Worst of all, I’ll know. But this campaign could be a real turning point in my career. What should I do—hope my ideas will stand on their own merit? Or go out and buy a fishing rod?
— A.G., Atlanta
Christian Solution:
Our first reply comes from Marketplace Mentor, Karen Moy, who, at the time of this article, was a systems analyst for Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee. Karen now lives in Washington DC where she is a managment consultant.
You’re absolutely right—if you start "playing social games" now everyone will think you’re a hypocrite. But not only is that bad ethics, I believe it’s also bad for business. Suppose your ideas were selected simply for political reasons—what good does that really do you in the long run? Are you learning to become a better copywriter? Is the quality of your work improving? Over the long haul those kind of cheap victories hurt your career because they hamper your development.
My experience has been that in the business world, honesty and sheer hard work will eventually get you farther than any amount of games-playing. After all, God is rational God. I don’t think He selected honesty as a virtue for arbitrary reasons. He did it because it works. Even in the marketplace.
Now, does this mean you should sit passively by and await the outcome? Certainly not! So many of the college students I’ve mentored seem to think that as a Christian in the marketplace they’ll automatically come out on the short end of the political stick—that their ethical standards will prevent them from being "winners." Well, it doesn’t work that way. Good guys and gals do win sometimes. Many times, in fact.
Here’s what I suggest you do: talk to your creative director one-on-one, just like the others are doing. Only do it with integrity. Sit down in his office, shut the door and express your concerns directly. Tell him you know others have been spending a lot of time with him recently, and that you hope it won’t prejudice his judgement. You’ve been working hard on this campaign, you’re excited about it, and you want to have a fair shot at winning.
I have a feeling that he’ll be more receptive than you think. As much as he may enjoy all the pampering, he knows perfectly well that making business decisions for political reasons is foolish. And he didn’t get where he is now by being dumb. Whether or not your ideas win out, you’ll probably be "winner" in his eyes. Because you’ll have earned his respect.
Here with another perspective is Kent Puckett, who passed away May 8, 2000. Kent was president and creative head of Kent Puckett Associates Advertising in Atlanta, now known as the Puckett Agency.
The Old Testament tells us of a guy named Joseph who was a brilliant worker in the marketplace. Everything he did prospered. And then one day he was forced into the kind of situation you referred to as "social games."
Remember Potiphar’s wife? Her advances to Joseph were probably his ticket to success—all he had to do was play along and the streets could have been paved with gold for him. But Joseph did what you should do—he refused to make spiritual sacrifices for the sake of material gain.
Well, you know the story. His decision cost him. And it may well cost you—at first. But look what happened in the long run. Joseph’s personal integrity eventually won him the respect of his King. And he was catapulted straight to the top.
I think the same principles apply in the marketplace. God has called us to certain biblical standards that are simply not negotiable. The mature Christian will never compromise them. For any reason.
Stick to your guns and someday you’ll find yourself not only happier but probably more secure in your career than your colleagues who allowed themselves the luxury of taking the easy road to the top.
In the meantime, I think by far the most important thing you can do is to remember your daily devotional time with the Lord. Maybe this sounds cliche, but I’ve found over the years that reading God’s Word gives you a thick skin. You tend to be less defensive, less self-centered, less easily hurt when you heart and mind are filled with Him.
In the Lions Den, Marketplace Networks, January 1988, pages 3, 4
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