Some years ago I was recruited by a local company to fill an open executive position, a job with really quite significant responsibilities. I took a day off from my then current job and spent the day with my prospective new employer. Remember, they came to me and asked me to leave a good job to come work with them.

The day went great. We toured facilities, met people, had lunch with senior executives and negotiated a fair and appropriate compensation and benefits package. We toured what would be my department and took a look at what would be my office.

The last meeting of the day was with their Chief Financial Officer. I would be technically operating under his supervision, but from a practical standpoint I would have little need to deal with him and he would have practically nothing to do with my operations, except at budget time. As soon as I sat down he told me that it was most irregular that I would be offered an executive job without his approval. I pointed out that senior executives of his company had recruited me. He repeated that it was most irregular and that he was not pleased. We talked for a very few minutes when he stood up, walked to his office door and opened it. He looked at me and said, “I don’t think this is going to work out.” He nodded toward the door and I, pretty good at taking a hint, stood up, grabbed my briefcase and left.

Fast forward five or six years. I was working on restaffing a company that my company had acquired. We had cleaned house when we assumed control, it was exceedingly clear that their existing corporate staff was incompetent at best, corrupt at worst.

Our Human Resources department emailed me a resume for a prospective Chief Financial Officer. I read it and found that the candidate had extensive experience in our industry, was qualified and a was Certified Public Accountant with lots of audit experience. Seemed to fit the bill. I ask HR to set up an appointment for him to come see me.

I had not recognized his name, but when he walked into my office I realized that he was the guy that told me that I wasn’t going to “work out…” at the interview five or six years ago. I generally let things go, I don’t carry a grudge or worry about minor insults. But my treatment at his hands those years ago still kind of stung.

I greeted him, interviewed him for an hour or so . 5, launched him to some individuals, revealed him the accounting floor of your building along with a coke with him within the break space.

I requested him to attend in my own office for several minutes. I went and visited with a few people when you look at the businesses workplace for approximately a half hour. Then I gone back to my workplace. We unsealed the door, stepped just in and stopped. He had been sitting comfortably in the visitor chair facing my work desk. We seemed him right in the eyes, paused for dramatic effect, and stated, “i recently don’t think that is likely to exercise.” We stepped as well as nodded in the door.

He left. I was told sometime later so it took a couple days for him to keep in mind which I happened to be and how we'd already been linked. My informant explained he known me personally as “That rotten son of a bitch.” Which was fine with me, i assume I was a little bit of a S.O.B. in that particular commitment.