The Ouk-rra-i-nah Story by Warren Metzler Table of Contents
12. One lie too many
Igor and I spent the weekend writing out the details of the proposed contract. Then Monday morning we went back to the factory, and by shortly after noon I had a signed contract. That afternoon we drove back to Kiev and spent the night there in an apartment.
The next morning another fascinating event occurred. Igor and I were standing in the kitchen, waiting for the taxi to arrive, and he suddenly confessed that Vlad had not contacted him after the June trip. He reminded me that I had written him after the June trip, and described that I was considering continuing with the project. He also told me he didn’t want this project to disappear. And then he had decided to tell me that Vlad had called and insisted we continue, hoping that information would encourage me to start again.
I looked at him, amazed at this presentation, and spontaneously stated, “So you lied to me?” He looked at me, developed a quite pained expression on his face, and then rushed out of the kitchen and into the bathroom.
Once he exited from the bathroom he had a new view on the issue. He had not lied, instead he had not revealed the whole truth. Then another principle I follow came into play: I do not work with any person who lies.
I told Igor my view on lying. But he continued to sustain his position. We didn’t have time to resolve this issue, because the taxi driver arrived at that point, and off we went to breakfast; and after breakfast to the bus station, where I caught a bus to Poltava.
But once I returned to the US, I continued to communicate with Igor about this issue. I provided him with several extensive descriptions as to why lying was unacceptable to me. I told him he could continue to lie; but unless he willingly admitted he lied, apologized, and told me it would never reoccur with me, I would cancel our business relationship.
Finally he did as I requested. But, amazingly, only a month or two later he obviously lied a second time (about a separate issue). This time, after I’d communicated the obviousness of his deceit, and reminded him that I could not have a relationship (business or friendship) with a person who lied, he wrote back and told me it was too difficult to work with me, and he wanted to cancel our business relationship.
I accepted his choice, but for me that action created a major complication. From the beginning of the project I had offered him two forms of reimbursement. He could keep records of all the time and money he spent, and I would reimburse him for all expenses and pay him an hourly rate. Or I would give him 10% of all the profits I made in the US, (profits being defined by what was left after all expenses had been paid). He decided to accept the 10% option.
So if we parted ways, how would I reimburse him for his efforts? Then I thought I would give him 10% of the profits from the first container which was ordered; which would be fair compensation for all the time and effort he’d expended up to that point. I communicated this offer and he accepted it. But then another problem emerged.