In business, we rely on a host of employees, affiliates, partners, consultants, and occasional freelancers to serve our clients and meet our goals. Yesterday, I learned in jaw-dropping fashion that a trusted part of that network has long been engaging in such deceptive practices that I am left reeling from the blow.
There are two parts to this story that have struck me with such forcefulness. The first is the sheer cost of the deception. I have been paying for services that simply weren’t performed. To shore up the shortfall, I have thrown additional money into the mill. We have suffered losses in both work performed and in dollars paid. Secondly, I am immensely pained by the fact that the charade was conducted by a trusted source with whom I’d shared my hopes, concerns, and tears. Â
If it were not for the magnitude of the dishonesty, if it were not for the person orchestrating the fraud…
So, now what? I have to ask myself some hard questions, explore legal avenues, and make difficult decisions. My mind just nags at the second half of the quote, “Burn me twice, shame on me.”