I thought I would share a story (And I have plenty of them!) that might be of benefit to our viewership. Hopefully the recommendation at the end will help you with your management team as well.
Now, I know I do not have to talk to HR professionals and remind them of the necessity of accurate documentation. Documentation, now there is a familiar word that can be overlooked so easily even though there are so many tools out there for us to use to our benefit. Let me tell you what almost happened to a client of mine.
There was once a quiet little village we shall call the work environment. And in this little hamlet there was a villager who appeared at work every day in the guise of an employee. This employee would sit at her desk, and stare out the window which we shall call her monitor. The task master, who was not really a task master but a manager who noticed that her little worker appeared to preoccupied with matters other than her job duties. The manager, in the performance of her job, got up and went over to speak to her employee merely to inquire as to her preoccupation. As it turns out, the manager quickly discovered that the employee was actually conducting work on behalf of her husband’s business. The manager informed the employee that this behavior was unacceptable and spanked her hand with a ruler (not really, it was a written warning!). After the admonishment and promises by the employee that she would be good all was well in the kingdom. But alas, the little villager turned to her evil deeds once more this time by turning her monitor slightly away from her manager’s view in an attempt to outwit the unsuspecting overseer. Not to be outdone, the quick witted manager figured out what was going on and immediately caught the prey in the trap once more. This time the villager was told she was banished (suspended) from the Kingdom for three days to determine the fate of this ill doer.
In the villager’s absence, her manager, the King (owner of the business), and the King’s confident (HR Rep) all sat together at the round table to decide the fate of the wrongdoer. After all of the facts were discussed, it was decided that the little villager must make her home elsewhere. This decision was made on the same day of the banishment and each of the players left the room and resumed their respective duties. At 4:39 pm, the night before the employee was to return to learn her fate, a carrier pigeon (email) arrived at the manager’s desk carrying the following message scrawled on a piece of parchment paper; “...I really don’t understand why I was suspended but I will be there tomorrow as instructed. Oh, by the way, I am pregnant.”
The next morning as the fog rolled across the water and the village stirred awake our wolf in sheep’s clothing arrived to find out her fate. As planned the employee was informed that her banishment was in full force and effect. But lo and behold, the wool was flung off, the bristles grew, and the fangs came out. “Terminated you say, it’s because I am pregnant!”
What next you ask? The word went far and wide until the events as recited reached a local barrister who scurried forth to defend the innocent damsel in distress. “Hear ye, hear ye, be advised that I will take up the cause and have the barbarians at the gates to ensure that justice shall prevail.” The King and his council gathered around the round table once more. “What shall we do,” he asked the group. The trusted confidant (HR Rep) spoke up quickly, I know, I shall send for our knight in Shining armor! Sir Potts is a mere 2 leagues away. He will know what to do!” So the word went forth until it reached the encampment of Potts & Associates. The messenger, tired and breathless from his journey was granted an audience with Sir Potts. Within moments of hearing that the barbarians were on the march Sir Potts was on his trusty mount galloping to the aid of the King.
After having reached the King, and hearing all of the facts, Sir Potts left and sought out the barrister who dared to threaten the happy village. It didn’t take long. Sir Potts entered the humble surroundings of the barrister, pushed past his cohorts, and demanded the details of the allegations as set forth. After an hour passed, each having shot barbs at one another, the two agreed if it could be shown that the decision to terminate had been made before the pregnancy notification, the barrister would pack up his belongings and end the proposed siege. Satisfied, Sir Potts went back to the King and confronted him and the council with the news that if they could present one piece of written evidence that the decision had been made before 4:49 pm the night before their problems were over. But alas, it was not to be so! Yes, it was true that the decision had been made but their folly was that not one of them thought to send a written conformation (email) recapping the discussion that had taken place. Not ONE piece of evidence to show when the decision had been made. They all searched their records to each other burning candles late into the night. Sir Potts, on his trusty steed slowly left the village and slowly returned back to his encampment.
Upon his return, the gallant knight dropped his heavy armor and sat in his high back chair recanting the events of the day to one of his most trusted and then, like manner from heaven, a carrier pigeon (email), tired from its journey, walked in holding a note that had been sent to the encampment days before the termination where the HR Rep had sent a note of inquiry regarding terminating the villager for her indiscretions. It had been forgotten in all of the haste to search their records to each other. Sir Potts revived by the news once again sped off into the night this time barging through the front door of the barrister still riding his huge white horse. The barrister, demanding to know the meaning for such a forceful intrusion dropped to his knees after the parchment was thrust upon him. Sadly, he gathered up his belongings never to be heard from again. And the evil little villager who tried to thwart the very existence of the tiny little village also disappeared.
What’s the moral of the story? Don’t take things for granted regarding the necessity of documentation. A simple email recapping a discussion among key personnel could ultimately save your little village.
And yes, I could have told this story in plain every day language but as HR professionals don’t we get tired of repeating the same thing over and over!!!
Sir Potts
Visit our website at
www.pottsandassociates.com
