Establishing Water-tight Innocence

These days one would read in the papers some indications of misconduct and unexpected behaviors of managerial people in some of the financial institutions in the discharge of their duties.
It seems evident that respected weeklies carry out information based on facts of their findings. Nonetheless, it seems to me that such allegations through free expression of thought would be more valid if they were supported along the lines of argument by some hard facts that would convince the readers, as most of them have no time for rumours, groundless accusation or conspiracy, unless it is said that it is a-posteriori requirement.
If on the other hand, though unlikely, whistle-blowers do it for the sake of different motives other than that of the company’s and the public’s interests, against those whom they suspect as demonstrators of low ethical behaviors and adversaries of good-governance, the allegation will have boomeranging effects on them and in the final analysis it will be a cause for facing the blame alone.
However, under any circumstances, much is expected from the millennium’s business leaders and managers to maintain high ethical standards in managing their organizations and in overcoming managerial responsibilities particularly as they relate to human and personnel matters as they are most of the time the sources of disenchantment.
The second aspect of the issue that such managers should pay heed to is the courage they should take in making unconventional decisions that will favor always the maximization of output, qualitatively and economically as well as ethically taking into consideration the workers’ and the customers’ concerns and interests very seriously.
In the third place, they should encourage enhancing corporate and good governance. Most or all business leaders and managers should analyze internal and external conditions or scenarios and provide appropriate responses to environmental changes through systematic monitoring of information and organizational processes.
Some failures may anyway occur when there is absence or reluctance to be sensitive to the knowledge of dealing with chaotic situations instantly and when confusion happens over the choice of decision variables.
Another important aspect of attention for business leaders and managers is the need of developing strategic perspective. Most of them do. If not, they should be able to foresee into the future and underline changes in workers’ and customers’ expectations. In general, business leaders should be adequately oriented not only towards shareholders’ values but other stakeholders preferences as well.
The best business leaders and managers are those who think in terms of exoneration, which most of them do. It is always good to avoid situations that would lead to allegations. Along with this, departmental or divisional managers should assist the upper hierarchy and advise them on the steps to be taken adroitly for best results and never become accomplices of a wrong action if any, or over-pass an error without indicating it to the right guy for timely correction—as there is a tendency to make sometimes errors. In severe cases, however, it may go beyond correction which may lead to rigorous investigation that may end up in admonition or penalty, since it may otherwise involve them sooner or later in a different circumstance. I believe that if this message reaches the reader without distortion of language or idea, as the weekly English papers sometimes are blamed for, many business leaders and managers will benefit from the ideas discussed here above.
Whistle-blowers, on the other hand, should be encouraged and considered friends to their companies and the public as long as their findings are based on verifiable facts. If they are active and consistent in their endeavors, business leaders and managers will as well benefit indirectly from their presence, since the knowledge they would gather from them will lead them to a safe ground in the pursuit of purity from corruption and mismanagement.
Nonetheless, a company that is guided by a clear mission statement and a strategic plan is less likely to fall a victim of such circumstances, unless misguided by ulterior intent. Anyway, it should be sensitive enough always to be able to analyze and control periodically the implementation phases of its strategic plan to fight back any intervening virus that will trample with its system and tarnish the management corps unfavorably in the realization of the company’s objectives, since no news will be a good news once a company’s or somebody’s reputation or name is damaged; good-will and image will as well be at a great risk. It is said “better to forego short-lived advantages for a good-will that lasts long.” In other words, no amount of revenge against whistle blowers would please a manager more than establishing a water-tight innocence.