Competing with the bigs

Recently, I went over to one of the big retailers to post a help wanted sign for our nonprofit. I’ve done it before numerous times, but as customary, I asked for permission.

The floor manager stunned by my request said, “We don’t post jobs for competing businesses.”

Really? This is a major chain with hundreds of locations spread across the US valued at billions of dollars–and they’re worried that if I post a job on the community board that I am some how competing with their bottom line.

Of course, that is silly. This floor manager couldn’t see past the manual. Couldn’t reach in to their humanity to recognize that a teen suicide prevention nonprofit in their area is not competition.

It isn’t their fault. They had been brainwashed into thinking that the pie is fixed. And if my slice gets bigger that means their slice is smaller.