By Fung-Yee Leung

Istill remember when I f irst joined my company, a colleague told me that over the past twenty years, six managers had resigned and started their own businesses from scratch, and thus became our competitors.

I asked around about the reactions from the boss who trained those managers in person.

According to a senior staff member, most of them became our business partners. Thanks to their expertise in different fields, it is convenient for us to hand over deals that are beyond our capacity or not to our liking to them. Moreover, some of them are still closely in touch and willing to share information with us.

This is the most brilliant, appropriate, and profitable way to deal with such matters. Truly, there is no need to regard anyone’s departure as betrayal. Becoming self-employed is purely a business-oriented decision which should not compromise any human relationships. There is no need to bring the situation to a deadlock, even if your colleagues resign and join another company.

Don’t burn your bridges, especially in a small, crowded city. One time, I went to negotiate a deal with a big company. Unexpectedly, the executive assistant accompanying the president was my ex-colleague who had worked in my department.

Of course, we were happy to see each other. Thanks to her putting in a good word for us with her new boss, a win-win deal was soon reached.

What a relief it was! If I didn’t part with this ex-colleague of mine merrily, the resentment born at that time might have come back to haunt me today.

There is another advantage in not falling out with others—that is, when everything goes smoothly with them, or if they make rapid progress in their new role, we can generously give a thumbsup and applaud for their success. Otherwise, the triumph of your archenemy will be like a hard slap in the face.

(From Let Go of the Past, China Women Publishing House. Translation: Zhu Yaguang)

山水易相逢

文/梁凤仪

犹记得我初加入集团之时，同事告诉我，我们厂二十多年间竟有六位经理级的同事先后跑到外头去创业，另起炉灶，成为我们的业务竞争对手。

我当时立即追查，老板对这些教出来的徒弟之所作所为有何反应？

听仍在位的老臣子说，绝大部分成为我们的业务伙伴，彼此专长略有分别，更易承接我们做不来或不愿意接的订单。一小部分则仍保持联络，彼此沟通，交换业务资料。

这是最聪明、得体而又有实际利益的处理方法。任何人的离去如果都视作背叛，是很没必要的。别说创业应该纯粹是一项商业上的决定，不一定牵涉人情面子，就算同事离职，也不必把关系弄僵。

本城地小人多，山水易相逢。前一阵子，我去跟一家大机构谈生意，竟发觉那总裁身边的行政助理是八年前在我部门工作的同事。

当然是相见欢，且得她在新雇主面前美言几句，很快达成双赢的合作协议。

真是抹一把汗，如果跟这同事结束主宾关系时没有做到好聚好散，当年种下的恩怨说不定要在今天承受后果了。

没有翻脸、没有破坏关系还有一重好处，当对方在外头一帆风顺、干得风生水起时，我们还可以作老怀大慰状，大大方方地跷起拇指称赞：后生可畏。否则，仇家成功，就等于是热辣辣地回应一记耳光，不是好受的。（摘自《不记当年》中国妇女出版社）