When all Hell breaks loose it may be too late

Another disturbing hazing story hit the news this month.

So when all Hell breaks loose; whose fault is it?

The perpetrator? Or the culture that allowed and tolerated the behaviour of the perpetrator?

I won’t point fingers or profess to have an understanding of the details of the case that is in the hands of law enforcement at this time. It’s a difficult question to answer, and every situation is uniquely different. But in order to eliminate the ambiguity, it may serve us all best to look in the mirror now to see if we have the risk in our own businesses.

Start by answering these questions

• Have you made a statement via written policy, about the expected behaviour by those under your care?
• Have you spent the time to teach and train on expected behaviour and unacceptable behaviour?
• Do you have a management system in place to inspect what you expect?
• Is there a safe reporting mechanism for those under your care to express concerns?
• Do you have an objective way of monitoring those concern and investigating allegations?
• Do stakeholders have visibility to activity taking place within your business?

These are not easy questions to answer fully. Some take some research. If you answer “no” to any of the questions – you are at risk. 

If you are at risk, you need to act quickly before all Hell breaks loose, because by that time it might be way too late.

Read my first article on transparency for more information. 

Click here for more.

Hello, I'm Stephen O'Keefe. The information you read here is intended to help businesses answer some of the tough questions about everyday events in the retail environment. After spending over 3 decades in this industry we've seen a lot!

Join Bottom Line Matters Today