Brilliant Manager, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 11

Knowing

it, doing it,

saying it

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I

am very aware of the limitations of this book. It’s very easy to

discuss management in principle – but not always as easy to

apply this in the real world. To help bridge the gap between

theory and practice here are a number of real-life scenarios

complete with discussion of how you might deal with these

situations.

Scenario 1

A member of your team who I will call ‘A’ complains about

sexual harassment by a person I will call ‘B’

Here is a situation that probably strikes terror into the heart of

every manager.

Let’s start with what you say to ‘A’ when the allegation is first

made. The important thing here is not to say too much until

you have talked to the relevant authorities and done some

investigations. On the other hand, if things turn nasty then

everthing you did, and did not, say may well be used in evidence

against you. At the initial meeting I would suggest that you do

the following.

 Collect as much information from the complainant as

possible. Go somewhere private and try to get all the

information you can. Do not be embarrassed about asking

specific questions concerning dates, words used, actual

physical contact alleged, etc., because such information

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206 brilliant manager

is key to checking the veracity of the complainant’s

allegations. In asking specific questions, you need to avoid

going into such detail that you might appear to be a voyeur.

 You need to assure the complainant that your organisation

takes such complaints very seriously indeed and that you will

immediately seek advice from your personnel department,

and that you will read up on the company procedures to

ensure that the complaint is dealt with properly.

 Ask the complainant if they want you to do anything

immediately: you need to check that they are able to cope

with the current situation for a few more days as you set the

wheels in motion.

I would suggest that you beware the following.

 While expressing sympathy for the complainant’s distress

you must not give any indication that you accept that the

complaint is justified. You must remember that you owe it

to ‘B’ to accept that they are innocent until proved guilty (I

am talking in moral terms here rather than in purely legal

terms).

 Do not show any signs of hostility.

 Do not try to talk the complainant out of making their

complaint; neither must you be seen to be encouraging

them to make a formal complaint.

 Try to avoid promising to do anything specific until you

have had the opportunity to talk to your personnel

advisers.

 Avoid all physical contact or anything that might in any way

be misinterpreted as inappropriate behaviour.

Unsurprisingly, the next step is to read the company procedures

and then alert your personnel staff and seek their advice. Let me

make it quite clear, you must do precisely what they say: any-

thing else leaves you personally exposed.

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