Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
By Ross H. Cunningham
Watson Hill Consulting
Life in the business world is easy. We are never faced with moral or ethical dilemmas and each day is a breeze.
Okay, vacation is over; let’s get back to reality.
Today’s work environment is complicated.
Each day, in our workplaces, many of us face common ethical challenges.
Some of the most recognizable include employees conducting personal business on company time, people taking credit for other people’s work, and the most challenging — harassing behavior. Many companies live in fear of any situation that may result in a lawsuit or complaint.
Human resource departments are full of procedures and policies addressing grievance procedures. There are countless websites offering assistance in handling these workplace issues. In fact, a Google search on “Maine workplace harassment laws” resulted in more than 200,000 items in less than a second.
While I strongly suggest your company have a set of standard procedures to ensure you are responding to these concerns properly, I also suggest you take a look at how to prevent the violations in the first place.
I don’t believe, for a moment, any business owner ignores the need for ethical standards or encourages poor workplace behavior. So how do businesses wind up there? The experts call it “ethical drift.” Over time, little things are ignored and before you know it, an unhealthy workplace environment exists.
Consider this comparison. It is said many chefs prefer to cook frog legs while the frog is alive. Unlike our lobster friends, if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will instantly leap out. If you put the frog in cool water however, and slowly raise the heat, its legs will be paralyzed before it realizes that it is too hot.
In the workplace, we often overlook the “little” things in favor of being a “supportive boss” or a “great place to work.” This can be a much more dangerous practice than you may realize. This leads to an unspoken approval of employees disregarding the rules. If you have given them permission to ignore one rule, why not all of them? Contrary to opinion, you are not creating a “fun place to work.” In fact, you may find most employees appreciate a fair but firm set of enforced guidelines over the “cool boss” approach.
So while the leaves begin to change this month, take a moment this week to look at how well you are managing your workplace with regards to this and consider a change of your own. Make sure you can still feel your legs, and get out of any situations that might be getting a tad warm while you still can.
