"Side B"

#integrity #dotherightthing #EnthusiasticElisa

#ONETeam #SNAPS #SageandNotableAdvisesfromPatrickSalazar

I used to be a manager in the spare parts department of a world renown car manufacturing plant. We had over 100 different suppliers of local spare parts, motor oil, forwarding trucks, insurance, storage, equipment, tools, communications and other services.

One day there was an organizational restructuring and I was tasked to manage our suppliers. Almost immediately, the owners or senior executives of some of our suppliers requested to meet with me. A few of them handed me their business card and whispered “Side B”.

Since I was new in the role, I did not know what it meant. I found out it is a shady secret code which means I should look at the back of their business card to see a light pencil-written percentage. I still did not know what it meant so they explained to me discretely that it is the percentage of the “special commission” I will get if I renew their contracts or if I select them as a supplier. They continued by saying it was the “SOP” (standard operating procedure) in the spare parts business.

I put a stop to “Side B” dealings.

I had them investigated and I terminated the contracts of all these guilty suppliers. I filled incident reports at our HR department who then terminated everyone involved.

Some of these people hate me up to this very day. One of the supervisors who got terminated was left by his wife and family due to this integrity case at that time.

*About the photo

I fetch my youngest daughter, Elisa, almost every day from school when she was in Grade IV. She usually show me merit stars and commendations from her teachers but this particular day in the photo was special.

Their Guidance Counselor informed me that Elisa turned over a Php100.00 bill that she found in the girls comfort room. The teacher acknowledged the she was a role model of integrity during their flag ceremony that day.

This is why we had a Jollibee celebration. :)