Back in the day when I was a political cartoonist for a daily newspaper I was also a "stringer", a part-time photographer that covers events as needed. The full-time photographer, Gene, was a multi-award winning photographer.
Some years before I started at the paper, Gene had done an artistic series for the newspaper. He went around town and took pictures of laundry hanging on clotheslines. He liked them so much, each week he put the images on front page. Unfortunately, the pictures grew into a sort of local urban legend that was still being talked about negatively when I arrived at the paper. Although Gene always defended the photo series, sometimes angrily, the incident seemed to be an embarrassment to him and the newspaper.
People don't like having their dirty laundry aired publicly. This is true in business as well as private life. Especially when distributed by management. Many business managers think they can correct a wrong through public embarrassment or peer pressure. I often hear the reasoning that this is okay because they are simply running things as a business. It made me think, how effective a technique is this, especially in the business community?
First of all, being a business owner or managing a group of people is not a license to be rude. Some managers seem to believe deflecting the blame to some higher business purpose relieves them of accountability. It never does. If anything it weakens the perception of the manager.
I'm currently reading and highly recommend the book "Team of Rivals - the political genius of Abraham Lincoln". Reading this book gives me an even greater appreciation for Lincoln's leadership. Early in his career he gave a speech to a temperance society where he warned the group about publicly denouncing drinkers and taverns. Nothing would be accomplished, he said. Instead he urged an approach of "erring man to erring brother." Abraham Lincoln followed the adage about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar.
I've mentioned before that I often apply a "what would the Japanese do" technique to many business problems. This grew from working closely with several companies from Japan who always conducted business following strict etiquette rules and formalities. Following thee lead has saved me many times from writing emails that I shouldn't have sent and making hasty decisions. In simple terms, it just means "always be polite, cause no embarrassment".
Demeaning co-workers publicly is not only rude, it doesn't work. Even when it appears to work, more often than not unseen damage has been done. Usually to the reputation of the one doing the public flogging.
So, how should businesses handle sensitive issues, especially when one or a few are not following company rules? Talk to the offender directly. If that doesn't work, talk directly again. Email makes it to easy to manage from a distance. Pick up the phone. Make a personal visit. Open up real communication.
If multiple direct attempts to resolve an issue fails, then it may be time for more drastic measures. Even so, public confrontation does not need to be involved. Make sure each step has been documented as required and make the necessary changes, which IS an appropriate business decision.
In conclusion do what the residents of the towns the newspaper covered eventually did. Keep your dirty laundry inside.
I enjoyed the analogy and appreciate the object lesson, but people don't hang their dirty laundry outside, the dirty laundry is in the hamper inside; by the time it gets outside and on the line, it's clean laundry. Of course I live in Canada. It may be different for the U.S. :-)
Posted by: Steph | March 17, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Maybe skidmarks wash out easier in Canada ... :-)
Posted by: Wayne | March 28, 2008 at 08:34 PM