© Leanne Faraday-Brash
A client of mine was talking to me about their previous job
as internal legal counsel for a professional services firm.
His first week in his old job was particularly memorable,
he reminisced. A distressed employee had come to him with
a formal complaint alleging sexual harassment against one
of the senior partners. As he dug a bit deeper he found
that this was but one in a string of allegations by
different women in the firm including a couple who'd left
and talked about his sexual intimidation and offensive
behaviour in their exit interviews with Human Resources.
Counsel admitted to me that his first thought was "If this
is true, it's outrageous and must be stopped". He then
admitted his second thought hot on the heels of the first
was "Groan, why me... and why this week?" Notwithstanding,
he took a deep breath, approached the partnership and
readily gave unequivocal advice on what he thought was in
the best interests of the firm if the allegations were
substantiated. However in stark contrast and to his
consternation, he found their equivocation on what to do
with Mr. Million Dollar (annual billings) Man quite
pronounced. Following investigation, the partner was
exited from the business but not without some sweaty palms,
some real chagrin and not a little anger, some of which was
(mis)directed at Counsel aka
bad-news-messenger-on-probation.
In past weeks we have seen careers destroyed, verdicts
handed down and arguments rage on blogs all over Australia
as people consider the issues, the evidence and opinions
before them, and make decisions on who to back and why?
Should the champion footballer have been sacked for drug
use? Should Sthe senior Police manager have been stood
down? Should the Supermarket chain manager have been
dismissed for drinking at lunch? The common denominator in
so many of these cases which have provided such fertile
ground for supposition, critical analysis, newspaper
editorials and good old fashioned water cooler gossip is a
much more serious and fundamental issue and that is one of
organisational culture and the lawlessness that can take
hold of an organisation that either refuses, or in the
context in which it operates, is powerless, to act.
I feel very frustrated and a little betrayed. I have
consulted to some of these companies (no not the Ocean
Grove Football Club, and frankly you can have them). I
have met outstanding, well intentioned, principled
individuals wanting to improve their organisations, serve
their communities, provide value for their shareholders,
drive performance cultures. They commit no crime asking
their people to do an honest day's work for an honest day's
pay and even that endeavour is sabotaged by those who see
that accountability culture as a threat to working life as
they know it.
This is not necessarily the fault of unions or lazy
opportunistic employees but also an IR system (on any side
of politics) that attempts to demand natural justice but in
its application defends the indefensible. But poor
performance doesn't usually bring down organisations.
Scandal does. Scandal borne of corruption, dirty politics,
ruthless game-playing, or cowardice.
----------------------------------------------------
Leanne Faraday-Brash is an organisational psychologist,
Principal of Brash Consulting and co-founder of the
Workplace Justice Consortium
Visit her websites at http://www.brashconsulting.com.au
http://www.workplacejustice.com.au
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