Once upon a time...
You are sitting home watching TV one evening, and hear a commotion outside coming from your next door neighbor's house. You go to your backyard, and hear your neighbor verbally abusing his wife. Realizing that sometimes we all have arguments, and thinking it is probably none of your business, you return inside. The next morning, you glance out the kitchen window and happen to spot the neighbor's wife getting in the car. You notice her head and arm are bruised and bandaged. You think to yourself that maybe you should have done instead of returning to your TV program.
Later that night, you again hear noise and go outside. This time you hear breaking glass as well as crying and screaming. You immediately go in the house, and call 911. You explain to the police that there is an abusive situation next door, and the woman needs help. The dispatcher says they will roll a car immediately and you hang up. Two minutes later, there is a knock at your door, and two uniformed policemen ask to come in. They ask you to sit down, and then begin questioning you. The wonder why you are getting involved; they question why you hang out in your backyard in the evening spying on your neighbors; they question your criminal record. [Note that during the whole time you are being questioned, you continue to hear screams coming from next door.] After 15 minutes, they tell you that it would be in your best interests to mind your own business, and let the neighbors resolve their personal problems on their own. You shut the door and watch the policemen get in their car and drive off - amazed that nothing was done. You can't sleep.
The scenario repeats the next night, and this time when you call the police, you demand that they confront the neighbor and investigate the situation. Ten minutes later, the knock at the door comes from the policemen AND the neighbor. They all enter your home, and request that you sit down and face your neighbor - telling him your problem. You can't believe that this approach to correcting the abuse is even considered. When you raise the issue of your safety and well being to the officers, they tell you that it is obvious that the problem is between you and your neighbor, and that YOU must work it out. [You fear for your life!]
Reality Check
As absurd as this sounds, this is exactly the same approach used by a large Fortune 100 corporation to resolve unethical behavior within its ranks:
- the neighbor: project manager
- the wife: employee
- the person calling 911: a co-worker on the project
- the police: human resources
Will justice ever be served with this kind of backward thinking? Does HR really care about the "human resources", or is it more concerned with the public image of the corporation. How many more "beatings" have to take place before someone gets it?
Later that night, you again hear noise and go outside. This time you hear breaking glass as well as crying and screaming. You immediately go in the house, and call 911. You explain to the police that there is an abusive situation next door, and the woman needs help. The dispatcher says they will roll a car immediately and you hang up. Two minutes later, there is a knock at your door, and two uniformed policemen ask to come in. They ask you to sit down, and then begin questioning you. The wonder why you are getting involved; they question why you hang out in your backyard in the evening spying on your neighbors; they question your criminal record. [Note that during the whole time you are being questioned, you continue to hear screams coming from next door.] After 15 minutes, they tell you that it would be in your best interests to mind your own business, and let the neighbors resolve their personal problems on their own. You shut the door and watch the policemen get in their car and drive off - amazed that nothing was done. You can't sleep.
The scenario repeats the next night, and this time when you call the police, you demand that they confront the neighbor and investigate the situation. Ten minutes later, the knock at the door comes from the policemen AND the neighbor. They all enter your home, and request that you sit down and face your neighbor - telling him your problem. You can't believe that this approach to correcting the abuse is even considered. When you raise the issue of your safety and well being to the officers, they tell you that it is obvious that the problem is between you and your neighbor, and that YOU must work it out. [You fear for your life!]
Reality Check
As absurd as this sounds, this is exactly the same approach used by a large Fortune 100 corporation to resolve unethical behavior within its ranks:
- the neighbor: project manager
- the wife: employee
- the person calling 911: a co-worker on the project
- the police: human resources
Will justice ever be served with this kind of backward thinking? Does HR really care about the "human resources", or is it more concerned with the public image of the corporation. How many more "beatings" have to take place before someone gets it?
posted by epiclectic at 9:02 PM
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