Since the inception of this blog, I've stuck to one particular rule: never criticize my current company. The only time I can say something negative about a company is when I'm no longer connected with it (which was what exactly happened last year).
This was due to my background as a PMT officer before when, at one point, I had to ingrain in my subconscious the Loyalty Pledge by Elbert Kim Hubbard:
If you work for a man
In heavens name, work for him,
Speak well of him,
And stand by the institution that he represents.
Remember, an ounce of loyalty
Is worth a pound of cleverness.
If you must growl, condemn,
And eternally find fault,
Why resign your position?
But when you are on the outside,
Damn to your heart's content.
But as long as you are a part of the institution, Do not condemn it.
For if you do,
The first high wind that comes along
Will blow you away
And probably you will never know why.
As a background, I'm a sales guy and I agree with the rest that my profession is both an art and a science. For me, it's also the latter because selling methods are constantly revised or discarded based on their success and best practices are based on empirical data and not on long-standing policies or tradition.
Unfortunately, the past few months have presented a quandary: I want some things in my current company to change. I want to try out different tactics and strategies. But the inertia to stick with the status quo is strong. In addition, I'm a newcomer to my current industry and my voice doesn't lend the same credibility as those who've been part of IT for years.
This is why it's so enticing to speak up in this blog about my current work, to just lay it out on the floor for everyone to read. But how do I do that without appearing to be disloyal or offensive, without appearing to be too critical? How do I strike the fine balance between constructive criticism and negative publicity for the company?
Those are interesting questions that I'd love to answer next.
