Shouldn’t We Be Able To Trust Each Other?

I am as much a part of the Work at Home Mom Community as I am a resident of Portland, Michigan. I live here and I work here. I make my living here by serving fellow members resources and services that they need. I treasure this community that I am part of because it is about more than business - it’s about life. Family and friends.

I wish everybody felt that way.

Sadly, they don’t.

Some people feel that all is fair in love, war and business and that they can’t be held to be in the wrong if they take an idea from someone else and run with it. We can’t own ideas after all.

But what if the idea was shared in confidence?

A WAHM acquaintance of mine was active on a Yahoo Group for many months and they often met in a web conference room to network and brainstorm. An idea was birthed in one of the brainstorming sessions that she was very excited about and expressed that she was going to move on it. No one else spoke up to say anything about having interest in it.

In subsequent sessions she talked about her project, getting input and advice from others. Again, no one else indicated any personal interest in the idea.

One week before she was set to go live - someone else from the group launched her own ‘very similar’ website and promoted it heavily to the Yahoo Group.

Needless to say, the mom who had been sharing her progress openly was shocked to find out that the other had been listening to everything and never letting on that she had also decided to run with the idea. Feeling betrayed, this mom quietly ditched her own project launch and left the group permanently.

What if the idea was shared in the context of a service based relationship?

What a writer does some work for you and the project gives them access to your products and plans for the future - and then that same writer starts a new project that clearly competes with yours?

What if a coach who has helped you to strategize starts a new website around the same topic shortly thereafter?

These may not be issues of right or wrong in the stark light of reality in business but they are certainly issues of ethics.

Maybe there is more than one side to be seen. Perhaps the writer already had a strong interest in the topic you hired them to write about and maybe they were already planning to do something with it. That’s fine - but should they have revealed that to you before taking on the work?

I have a coaching client who brought a project to me for assistance with that so resembled one of my own ‘in progress’ projects that I felt I should let her know right away so that there could be no misunderstandings later. She was very glad to be given a heads up and decided to go ahead with the coaching anyways.

In the end, our objectives were quite different and our resulting projects would never be considered as being in competition - but I think my approach was right. If I had not divulged my own interest in a similar project, she could have been quite disconcerted if not completely offended that I never mentioned it.

Doesn’t it seem clear that anyone providing a service whether it be admin support, copy writing or business consulting should reveal potential issues of split loyalties?

If a client gives you inside access to their project and all the while you are planning your own just like it - wouldn’t most consider this a conflict of interest?

I do.

This is a growing issue of concern. There are a large number of marketing moms who have ventured into offering services to make ends meet while they continue to build their own projects.

It’s one thing to hire a writer who is a writer full time and always intends to be a writer. But what about the writer who is only writing as long as they have to but who really wants to build passive income through their own content sites and information products?

Personally and professionally I think these ’segue service providers’ are great to work with. They get the big picture and bring a lot of savvy to the work they do. But, I make a point to know something about their ‘other business’ projects and goals before hiring them to work on my developing projects. That’s just smart business.

I know business is business and we can’t own ideas and all that jazz.

But what about the people? I don’t know how someone can blatantly take and run with a new project that will obviously compete with someone that they have worked for or with. On a personal level it just stinks.

I’m not saying that you have to let a good idea go just because someone you know or have served is doing something with it. What I am suggesting is that you be up front about your interest.

It can be as simple as saying:

‘Hey, I have a strong interest in this as well, I may just do something with it.‘ or

‘Just so you know up front, I’m planning to develop something similar so you might not want to hire me for this, we may end up competitors down the road and I wouldn’t want any hard feelings.’

Competition isn’t evil. I am great friends with some of my biggest competitors. Being up front about it keeps our friendships warm and enjoyable - so I encourage you to be as up front as you can with those you network with and work with.

Because doggone it - people are more precious than profits.