Stopping sexual harassment in the workplace

Alicia is a twenty-eight years old supervisor in a five-star hotel, she was aspiring to become the section manager of the steward department. So she submitted her application together with the pertinent papers required by the higher position.

After a few days her attention was called for an interview by the manager of the hotel. So, she reported to the office of the manager for an interview. During the interview the potbellied and burly hotel manager asked her to stand and come near him. Then he immediately grabbed her behind and salaciously said to her: “You have a nice behind, I want you in bed with me tonight!”

Alicia fiercely answered back, slapped the manager and she said to him: “You bastard you have no right to do it!” I will report you to the president of this hotel and I will also report you to the police for violating me!” The manager begged the woman not to do it but she had already decided to report his acts of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassers could be a man or a woman and it’s not solely about a person’s desire to have sex with his/her prey. Primarily sexual harassment emanates from a person’s desire to dominate a certain individual. Who is applying for a higher position or who is asking for a favor from a person with a higher organizational authority.

Therefore, sexual harassment is actually about individuals who are power trippers! They use their power as a leverage to take advantage of their prospective prey or victim.  It’s actually very hard to be in conflict with them for the simple reason that they are very powerful!

However, if you want to stop these sex maniacs you have no other choice but to have the courage to expose them! Nevermind if you might be ostracized or even if others will not believe you for doing so.

Why is it that you might be ostracized or others will not believe in you? For the simple reason that these sex maniacs are very powerful and they have their own network of very powerful people to even destroy your credibility.

Nevertheless, you have to have the courage to vigorously expose them no matter how powerful they are! For this is the only way that you can stop sexual harassment in the workplace. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

Evidence matters in resolving organizational conflict

Natalie is a middle level manager in a cosmetics organization. She went to their human resource management manager to complain about her fellow middle level manager who is very arrogant. According to her, to think that he is only a middle level manager he pushes his weight around as if he owns the organization that he works for.

Upon talking with the Human Resource Manager, Natalie was asked: Do you have a witness or an evidence to support your complaint? She said, no I don’t have any. She was therefore told to have evidence or even a witness and come back.

The next morning expecting to once again witness his boorish behavior she prepared her smart phone positioned it in a strategic place and turned on the video. After a few minutes her fellow middle level manager’s arrogance was on full display again. And it was captured unadulterated by her strategically placed smart phone.

Therefore, the next day she went back again to the Human Resource Manager presented her video of her fellow middle manager’s full display of arrogance. Consequently, his attention was called and he was asked to explain his unwarranted behavior.  He admitted his mistake and he apologized to those whom he had offended and he promised not to do it again. Accordingly, he was given a disciplinary action and was suspended for one week. 
  

Evidence matters when it comes to resolving organizational issues and conflicts. For the simple reason that when you have an evidence your complaint is already assured of speedy resolution. It also put an iron clad protection to your complaint.

The evidence will likewise immediately put the person being complained in a defensive and weaker position. Which will lead him/her to apologize and accept without question the disciplinary action that is due to him/her. – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

The leader/manager and the Management function of planning

John is a newly appointed department head in a call center company. Upon assuming his position his first activity for the day was to define the goals and plans of his department. He projected in advance the demands of their clients and through his planning he saw to it that his department would be able to meet their client’s future demand.  

What is the importance of planning in a manager’s/leader’s life in the organization? An effective manager/leader uses planning to implement his plans in advance. This plan is not simply based on their whims and caprices it is rather based on sound method, analysis and projection. When a manager/leader uses the management function of planning it should always be realistic and pragmatic.

 Why is it important for a leader/manager to have a plan? It is important for the simple reason that planning helps the manager/leader create a realistic framework of action. Yet this framework of action doesn’t automatically ensure 100% success. However even if it doesn’t guaranty 100% success it’s always better to utilize the function of planning than not to utilize it for how would you move ahead without planning?

Planning also provides a point of reference where actual performance can always be compared vis-a-vis with the planned target. And if the actual performance doesn’t meet the planned target managers/leaders should make the proper adjustment to meet the realistic planned target.   

Planning also determines a future course of action based on the prevailing environment. That’s why it’s very important not to cast in stone our plans. Otherwise we cannot anymore fine-tune our plans when the business environment is against us. Planning should always be a continuing managerial and leadership function. This is for the reason that the moment the manager/leader stops planning his/her life the organization would also come to an end.

Through the management function of planning the hazy and cloudy future is made clearer, brighter and the future that is unknown is somehow made known. – Marino J. Dasmarinas